Double Crossed
by addicted2airwolf
Summary: story 2 - A simple transport of an agent for Archangel could become dangerous to all involved when they find out the whole picture...
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

"Cait, how's the schedule coming for today?" Dominic Santini,owner of the air service Caitlin O'Shaunessey worked for, asked.

"You're scheduled to take Ruby's lesson, that's it."

"Momma mia," the Italian muttered, " business has been terrible lately."

"It'll turn up soon, Dom," Caitlin encouraged, "I'm sure it will."

Dominic sighed, hoping she was right, but not seeing much hope of increased business in the near future. "What about String? Do you know if he is planning on gracing us with his presence any time soon or am I going to have to go up there and pry him out myself?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since he came by to pick up Le last week."

"Alright. I'll see what I can do later. What time is the lesson with Ruby?"

"Eleven thirty," Caitlin answered.

"Better get ready then; she'll be here about any time now."

"Yeah. I'll finish cleaning up here before I go get lunch, or I could go check on Hawke if you prefer."

"That would be great," Dom thanked. It wasn't even all that late yet, but he hadn't slept well that previous night and he'd take all the help he could get. Besides, maybe she would try a different, and hopefully more successful, approach to bringing String back to the real world. He had nothing against the cabin, even enjoyed his occasional stays, but it couldn't be good for anyone to spend such vast amounts of time isolated away from everyone else.

"Oh Mr. Santini," Ruby's voice rang out loud and clear, a little too loud and clearly. "I'm ready for my lesson."

"I'll be right there," Dominic called back to Ruby then returned his attention to Caitlin. "Go ahead and check up on String for me and see what you can do. I'll take care of lunch after the lesson."

\A/

Caitlin, in the Jet Ranger, had almost reached the cabin when she saw that Hawke already had visitors. A pristine white FIRM helicopter rested on the end of the wooden dock and it didn't look like they were planning to be leaving any time soon.

Landing off a little ways from the cabin, she climbed out as the rotors slowed and walked up towards the cabin.

Before she had even stepped up onto the porch, Hawke came threw the door he had just flung open. "You can go. I'll let you know what I decide," he growled. "I don't want to see or hear from either of you until then."

"We don't have much time," Michael reminded. He was pushing the envelope and he knew it, but this mission wasn't possible without either Airwolf or a lot of bloodshed.

"Like I said, I'll get back to you."

Michael and Marella exited silently and disappeared into the FIRM chopper, Hawke slamming the door shut before he even realized she was there.

Maybe now wasn't a good time, Caitlin thought, or maybe someone to listen to him is just what he needed. She hadn't been there for the argument so she had no clue what it was about, but whatever it was had upset him over something.

She knew she might be taking her life into her own hands, but finally decided to chance it and came in the front door.

Hawke wasn't anywhere in sight, but she could hear the soft playing of the cello coming from the loft. She didn't recognize the piece, couldn't even say she had heard it before, but it sounded difficult, but far more than that. It was definitely a darker piece, anger and sadness intertwined with every note, and something else, bitterness?

Hawke was a tricky one to deal with on the these kind of issues, that much she had found out quickly and been proved over and over in the two years she had known him. One bad move, saying the wrong thing just once, and she would have an all out battle with the impenetrable Stringfellow Hawke.

He wasn't always that way though. He had a soft heart, a sensitive one that had just been betrayed and broken too many times over the years, and because of that he had built up stone barriers around it, refusing to willingly let anyone in for fear that something would happen to them. There were a select few though that had been there since the beginning or somehow managed to burrow their way under his defenses. To those, he loved and protected with every bit of loyalty and strength he had to give.

As the song drew to an end, she quietly made her way toward the stairs to the loft.

"Hawke," she called softly, "Hawke…"

He said nothing nor made any move to acknowledge her presence.

"Hawke, are you alright?"

He glanced over at her briefly then back down at the cello, chose to ignore her, and started playing the next piece of music with a similarly gloomy mood.

Obviously he didn't want to talk about it yet, but that was okay, she could wait. Soundlessly she moved onto the bench beside him and closed her eyes as she listened to the expertly played moody cello instrumental.

\A/

She wasn't sure exactly how it had happened, but Caitlin felt the weight of String leaning heavily against her shoulder, eyes closed, and drawing in a deep breath as if trying to prepare himself for what was sure to be the following interrogation, but she remained quiet, only asking that he not push her away.

They remained like that for several minutes, each savoring every silent minute of the other's presence until Hawke finally moved, resting his chin on her shoulder than looking up at her with vulnerable, moist baby blue eyes.

With a tentative hand, Caitlin stroked the soft fringe at the nape of his neck, with long delicate gentle movements, hoping she wasn't pushing her luck too far.

He didn't object, enjoying the silent moment in time even though he knew it couldn't last.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

An hour later Hawke woke up in Caitlin's arms, looking up into her sympathetic hazel eyes.

She smiled as he did so and he couldn't help let a trace of a smile appear on his own face.

Suddenly realizing he was practically laying in her lap, he started. "Cait, I…"

"Shh," she whispered, no need for real words.

Instinctively, he drew closer, as if to kiss her, but suddenly pulled away, warning himself that none of this was a good idea.

Dropping his head ashamedly, he drew in a deep breath and struggled to recompose himself.

"Thanks Cait," he said, sincerely grateful, but sounding more like an apology.

"It's nothing," she replied, "Anytime…." she stopped, not wanting to fall into the whole open up and share your problems routine she knew would have no effect on him.

He nodded, understanding of what she meant. He couldn't put words to fit the gratitude he felt. The irritating, repetitive route of trying to get him to discuss his problems didn't help and he wasn't interested, but the silent comfort she had shared few had managed so well. It was a fine line between being too personal and pushing the limits a little, something most hadn't mastered, something he struggled with himself sometimes, but she had done a fine job of.

Gingerly sitting up and stretching his sore muscles, he realized just how close he had been to kissing her; he had slept for at least an hour practically in her lap! This wasn't going to work. It just wasn't a good idea, yet he couldn't believe how hard incredibly hard it was to pull away.

She had somehow gotten past his barriers, no doubt about it. The problem was, she couldn't stay there, but he didn't want to push her way.

Look where that got you with Gabrielle, you stupid lunkhead, he scolded himself. She just couldn't stay, no exceptions.

"Thanks Cait, for everything. You can tell Dom I'll be back at the hangar tomorrow right after I take Le to school," he told her even as he shifted away from his more than comfortable position and stood up.

"You're sure you are okay?"

He nodded. "Fine."

"I guess I don't have an excuse for sticking around any longer then, do I?" she stalled. "I can understand why you like it out here so much. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and it's all so peaceful and calming…"

He disregarded her less than subtle hints that she wasn't quite ready to leave yet. "Bye Caitlin. See you tomorrow."

Reluctantly, she too got up and headed for the downstairs. "Yeah, bye."

\A/

Sweeping the crumbs off the desk and throwing them away, Dom finished cleaning up his trash from lunch just as Caitlin returned.

"I take it things must not have gone all bad considering how long you were gone," Dominic commented wryly.

"Not all bad," she agreed. "Can't say it was perfect though either."

"Well? Are you going to tell me or do I have to force it out of you?"

"He said he would be back up here tomorrow, and he's in a better mood for now, kind of…"

"How kind of?"

"I wasn't his only visitor. Michael and Marella were there with some mission for him. I don't know what it was, but it had him pretty upset."

"Oh?"

"He wouldn't talk about it though and I don't have the slightest clue why. He said he would get back to them with his answer, but Michael especially was pushing pretty hard for him to take it even though he obviously rather annoyed at the whole idea."

\A/

**11:00 pm**

**String's Cabin**

Alone again. The dark midnight sky was totally black other than the scattering of stars speckled across it, and a cool breeze took away some of the heavy oppressive heat that hung in the air all day. It was the perfect evening, well maybe not quite perfect.

Le had gone to bed, or at least crashed on the sofa, but sleep evaded Hawke, thoughts of Michael's mission constantly plaguing him. Should he or shouldn't he do it? Even if he did decide to take it, the difficult decisions would be far from over.

It had to be done, he understood that, one way or another. He just didn't like it though. The general premise was easy - pick up the agent and return her to Knightsbridge. But the details complicated things. A lot.

This wasn't just a Michael wanted him to do it mission, this was strictly a FIRM mission and he would have to abide by their rules. He didn't even particularly like this agent, and with the predicament she was in, just finding her wouldn't be easy, much less actually picking her up, the defenses he might have to go through…. It wouldn't be easy and definitely had plenty of risks and opportunities to go wrong to say the least. On the flip side, if he didn't do it somebody else would have to, and sending in a full fledged attack group, or even a small specialized group was just asking for a massacre. Airwolf really was the only way to go.

The other catch - he was to go alone, possibly even under cover, doing whatever he had to to get her out, all for an agent he didn't like. Why? Because with her she had the plans and even a sample of what the Russians could easily turn into a nuclear war.

The stakes were high, but so were the chances he would be taking. What if he didn't come back? What would happen to Dom and Cait? What about Le? He was, after all, the one who had promised Le that he would take care of him, that he would always be there for him. And Saint John? Everyone else believed he was dead, just gone with the other twenty five hundred other MIAs from Vietnam and never to be seen again. Who would rescue him?

And since he would have to abide by FIRM protocol, there would be no telling anyone where he was going and when he would be back, if he even came back, and if he were captured…. Well, he wouldn't exactly be holding his breath for a search party coming after him.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"Do you think he'll do it, sir?" Lauren asked her boss.

"Hawke? Depends on how likely he thinks a total bloodbath is likely to happen if we have to send in an extraction team. His main purpose in life right now is to find his brother, but other than to do that, he doesn't value his own life all that much, and I don't doubt he'd be willing to die if it meant saving multiple others."

"What is that probability?"

The deputy director shook his head grimly. "I'd say that there is a very good chance he would be forced into some sort of trap. The catch is, he and Airwolf have a more favorable likelihood of coming out on top."

\A/

"Hawke," Michael greeted, knowing there only to be one reason why he would have come in, especially with such a disdainful look on his face.

"I'll do it," Hawke said curtly, "but I do it my way."

"I don't call the shots in this one. Zeus is the head of the FIRM and therefore head of this mission. He wants it done his way or his way, no exceptions."

"That's one reason I don't work for the FIRM anymore, and honestly I don't think _he_ has much bargaining room. I have to _want _to work for him and I still have Airwolf."

"So how are you planning on pulling this one off if you're taking the risks while battling the whole committee?"

"With your help, of course."

"My help?" Archangel repeated. "Zeus is likely to can me, if not have me brought up on charges for treason if he finds out."

"Isn't treason a bit overboard?"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"Then just don't let him find out what you really know." Hawke shrugged. "That's what spies like you are supposed to do anyway."

"It's not exactly as easy as it sounds."

"Zeus and the committee never have to know anything is different. You can provide me the information to get this….agent…." he over-enunciated with a bitter undertone, "out and I fly Airwolf. It's as simple as that."

"Not everything is simple black and white, Hawke."

"Oh, is that why they put all those other colors in the crayon box?" he asked sarcastically.

"Seriously, how are you planning it?"

"I'm taking Dom and possibly Cait too."

"That'll really be stretching the distance between fuel pickups, and if Airwolf is damaged at any point, you'll never make it with the additional weight," Michael cautioned.

"We'll make due with what we've got. Now do you agree or not? Because if you don't, I'm an hour late for work."

"Fine, but the whole committee here still thinks you're following the rules so they'll continue to be applied on this end - meaning no extraction teams, and if you're captured total deniability. Even I may not be able to help you."

"You make it sound like I'm some lawbreaker no one wants."

"You're coming pretty close," Michael advised.

"Perspective. I'm not breaking the rules since I never agreed to them, just testing the limits and changing them a little."

\A/

"So how was your flight with Ruby yesterday?" Caitlin asked with a grin on her face as she grabbed the wrench and slid back under the helicopter's belly.

"Oh just lovely," Dom replied sarcastically. "I really don't understand why she keeps coming back; I don't think she even likes flying."

"You should see the way her face lights up when Hawke walks in though."

"String and her? Nah. Can't say I see that one happening, for a couple of reasons. For one, he wouldn't give up flying for more than a very limited few things and I don't think Ruby happens to be on that list. She's not his type anyway. Granted, String doesn't think anybody is his type."

"What exactly is his type?"

"You know String, and String will be String."

"String type? A kind all his own. He must be a special guy."

"And he'll find that special girl one of these days, assuming he doesn't push her away like he tries to do with anyone who gets within twenty feet of him."

"He's not that bad, Dom. I think in time someone will be able to win him over eventually."

"I try to keep that in mind, but he isn't cooperating much. I even thought there was a bit of hope when Gabrielle came along, but we all know how that turned out, and to him further proving he just won't ever get a perfect and happy life."

"Him never have a happy life? Of course life isn't perfect, but there still isn't any reason why he can't still have a pretty nice one."

"He seems to think he's cursed. Can't say I agree with him, but I cam see where he's coming from."

"The car accident was a fluke, and working for the FIRM is dangerous work any day not just when he and Airwolf are involved."

"Try telling him that."

"Tell me what?" Hawke asked as he entered the hangar for the first time that morning.

"That you don't have to always have to worry about the people who come near you without a thirty foot pole," Caitlin supplied, a grin firmly plastering itself on her face when she saw the confused look on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"String, you're practically signing up for a suicide mission!" Dom exclaimed upon hearing the details of the mission. "It's just not right. And they want you to risk your neck and ours, plus the Lady for some crazy scheme like this?"

"Not quite. The committee only knows about me and Airwolf going in, actually I've been given direct orders not to tell either of you where I'm going or when I'm coming back, assuming I do."

"I'm liking this less and less, and I didn't even like it to begin with."

"The idea is a small quiet extraction with as few problems as possible, no fuss no muss. But with the trouble she's in, every Russian soldier out there is likely to be after her."

"So, what if we don't go?" Caitlin interjected.

"Then you won't go. I've got to."

"They can't force you to do this, String; you don't work for them like that anymore."

"I already said I would do it. We're about the only chance there is for avoiding what could become a worldwide nuclear war, just with you two backing me I have a better chance of coming out of the massacre alive."

"I still don't like it" Dom replied.

"It wasn't exactly how I was planning on spending my weekend either," the younger man retorted, "but better a few dead than a hundreds or thousands, possibly more."

"We're going to have to work on your persuasive skills, kid. That whole for the greater good thing doesn't work so well if it sounds like the whole world is going to be turned into a nuclear wasteland anyway."

"But you aren't going alone either," Caitlin added.

"Well, somebody has to keep you kids out of trouble," Dom rejoined. "Where's our first stop? Good ole land of Mother Russia?"

\A/

**Early the Following Morning**

"Ready?" Hawke asked as he finished loading the Copperhead.

"Aren't you taking more?"

"Can't. The weight would be too much for us to make the fuel pickup."

"Alright, you're the one in charge, just wanted to make sure you've thought this through."

"So much so that I've hardly been ably to sleep since Michael first mention her name. Listen, Dom, Cait, I really appreciate what you're doing but you don't have to go. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't."

"Hey, we aren't backing out if you aren't," Caitlin assured him.

He let out a deep sigh. "Off to Russia we go then."

Rising out of her chimney, Airwolf growled, challenging anyone who dared taking her on.

"All green back here," Dominic reported. "She's rarin' and ready to go."

"What're we waiting for then? Let's go."

Hawke hit the turbos and sent them into the backs of their seats as they raced over the Valley of the Gods and back toward the north western coast.

\A/

The final bell rang and Le threw his books into his backpack, slinging it onto his back and followed the rest of the class out to wait for his ride home, or in this case to a friend's house. He didn't mind going to Stephan's house, but he had no clue how long he would be there. The night before his uncle had sat down and told him what his plans were, whatever he wanted to know about the mission other than about the agent he was risking his life to save. He had promised he loved him no matter what happened and that they would go out and doing something when he came back, but he couldn't help but worry a little about String. He, Dom, and Cait were the only family he had now and the mission sounded pretty dangerous to him. Sure, they had Airwolf, and that helped a lot, but he wasn't totally unaware of what happened in battles like this. He'd seen a whole unit go down in only a couple minutes before, pieces of burning frames all that was left, and he didn't want that to happen to them. He'd already lost the family he had and he wasn't ready to loose another one. He loved them, and they loved him.

"Le, my dad is here," Stephan said.

Le nodded and followed his friend to the van, his mind still wandering.

\A/

"Good morning Airwolf crew," Michael greeted over the radio. "What's your current status?"

"Tired and ready to go home," Hawke answered tactlessly. "It's only sunrise now and I've already been flying for hours that should tell you something."

"Point taken. I'm having Marella send coordinates for suggested landing locations and frequently traveled Russian air routes to avoid to your computers now, anything else I can do?"

"You mean other than call off this crazy, near suicidal mission? Yeah make sure she's waiting when we get there. Ducktaping her mouth shut would be nice too."

"I'll see what I can do," Michael replied with a half smirk despite Hawke's bitterly sardonic tone.

"Talk to you later, we'll report back before we reach the next fuel pickup."

"So, if the committee doesn't know about us coming along, how is going to explain the needed extra fuel pickups?" Dom queried. "And how is he keeping this from the committee anyway?"

"There are no extra fuel pickups, that's why we had to leave half the armament back at the Lair. And when any of them call back, I suggest you let me do the talking."

"Yeah because you're just full of anticipation, waiting to share every detail with them," Dom mumbled in reply. "What do you have against this agent, uh, what's her name…"

"Lexa," String supplied succinctly.

"So what do you have against Lexa?" Dom pursued. "I don't remember you every mentioning her before."

"That's because I didn't."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"Come on, String, what is it?"

"Leave it, Dom."

"It can't be that bad," Dominic insisted determinately.

"I don't want to talk about it. We didn't part under the best of terms to say the least, okay? Just leave it at that."

"I…"Caitlin hesitated, then decided she should stay out of this one. Obviously he didn't want to talk about it, and it wasn't her place to know. Whatever it had been was in the past and there was nothing more anyone could do to change that, good or bad.

"Fine, I'll let it be for now," Dom gave in, "but if there is something we should know…"

"If you _needed_ to know I would have told you."

"Russia's coming up in about ten miles and the scope is all clear."

"Go ahead into full stealth mode and I'll drop down into the canyon to avoid radar."

"Where is Lexa supposed to be picked up?" Caitlin inquired.

"Near Tver," Hawke answered, abruptly dropping several feet.

"Don't take it out on the Lady just 'cause you're mad at me."

Hawke ignored Dominic's comment and dropped even further. "Stay on the scopes. I think we may be having company soon."

\A/

Yellow golden fingers of sunlight peeked over the horizon as Lexa paced nervously back and forth. Where were they? Please let them be here soon, she prayed, very soon.

Already she could hear sirens in the distance again and knew the Russian police were on her tail.

"Damn but they're hard to loose," she muttered to herself, pulling her sweater tighter around her body and abandoning all her other belongings other than the information and sample she had retrieved and ran west in search of more cover in the fleeting shadows. How would they even find her? she wondered. She had no coordinates to give them, only a general location, and she was constantly on the move avoiding the law enforcement.

Well, if she didn't come out of this one alive, she'd get what she deserved, Lexa decided. Like her father had said, she was somewhat of a rogue, a maverick, a lone warrior who did whatever was necessary to survive and complete the mission, even at someone else's expense if need be. It wasn't the kindest way of doing things and not always the most tactful, but it got the job done nevertheless. And if she did die, at least she wouldn't be here for the after effects of a global nuclear war, she thought with a self depreciative grin. That was something she **didn't** want to be around for.

\A/

"You got all scanners on?"

"Everything," Dom confirmed.

"There's a bogie up ahead at two thousand feet, three miles and closing," Caitlin reported.

"Let's see if they spot us."

Caitlin ran the ID and found it was a MiG 23 patrolling their airspace and intending to keep them out.

"Dom, give me full turbos."

"String, we're only at a hundred feet," Dom cautioned.

"Turbos," Hawke repeated.

"You got 'em," the engineer said as he slid the lever up in the back. "Man, I hate it when you do this," he grumbled.

Hardly above the ground, Airwolf skimmed just over the land, stray tree branches occasionally brushing the Lady's belly as they sped by faster than the speed of sound.

"We're past the MiG, now can we slow down so I can actually see what we're looking for?"

Gradually Airwolf slowed a little then he asked for Dom to reengage the rotors.

"Any sign of….her….yet?" Hawke questioned, standoffishly.

"Her does have a name you know. Lexa, I do believe you said, a very nice name is I do say so."

"Yeah."

"What is it you dislike about her so?" Dominic asked. "I've never met her before, but you have to have some reason for not caring for her much."

Hawke remained silent, clearly not intending to share any of his personal reasons on the absolute displeasure of this agent and the mission in general.

Caitlin cast a quick glance in his direction though, trying to see if she could catch some hint by his emotions, but no such luck. They, as usual, were carefully enclosed by the nearly impenetrable mask. All she could tell was that there was something, something major, he didn't want to share, probably felt it was his problem so he should be the only one to have to deal with it. Somewhere below all those defenses she could sense hurt, a sense of vulnerability, something Stringfellow Hawke liked to prove he didn't have. Still, sometime he could be too stubborn and hard-headed for his own good. Not everyone was out to get him, hurt him in one way or another. On the other hand, that same stubborn determination and perseverance was a good part of what had helped him survive all these years and would probably be what brought his brother back if anything did.

"String, what is it? I'm not going to judge you for whatever happened between you two in the past, I just want to know what's eating you like this. I really hate seeing you tear yourself up over these things," Dom persisted, this time more compassionately.

"Dom, I've always been grateful for what you've done for me, but I just don't want to talk about it, with anyone. It's over, and honestly, it doesn't concern you; if I did it would have been five and a half years ago."

"You're punishing yourself over something that happened five years ago? People change, circumstances change. Everything could be different by now."

"Some people just don't change, Dom."

\A/

"Where are they?" Lexa muttered. She risks life and limb after years of faithful service to the FIRM …..maybe she did cause a few problems, but… and they can't even get their extraction team here on time."

"You," a voice behind her said. "We've been looking for you."

Spinning around suddenly, Lexa came face to face with Dimitri, the leader of one of the groups that was after her.

\A/

"Hey, I think I've got something," Dom reported from the engineer's console in the back. "Two hundred yards ahead near that alleyway."

"What's she doing in the middle of the city? She's going to be waiting a while if she expects us to pick her up there."

"Wait a minute. She's not alone."

"What do you mean she's not alone! She said it was just her and she is the only one coming; we don't have the room or the weight capacity for anyone else, and if I had my way we'd leave her too."

"You can't just leave her," Caitlin spoke up now. " Her life would still be in danger for stealing the stuff."

"She's deserve it," Hawke spat, anger and temper flaring, "she would deserve every bit of whatever they would do to her, every little bit."

"String!"

"I mean it, every word of it."

"What has gotten into you? She doesn't deserve to die just because you're mad at her."

Hawke offered no rebuttal, but fury and rage visible seethed through him.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

**Russian Countryside**

**5 miles out of Tver**

**3:13 pm**

About ten yards away Dom was finishing pulling the camouflage netting over Airwolf, talking to his Lady all the while, most likely about his sudden outburst against Lexa only a few minutes ago. Maybe it wasn't totally deserved, possibly she could have changed, but he found it hard to believe even after all these years. Lexa was still Lexa, and she was still the most coldhearted, deadly, witch he had ever had the misfortune to meet. And to think he had almost fallen for her…how stupid could he get?

He shook his head, trying to clear the mental fog that had settled there, the images of her long golden blond hair, the gorgeous crystal blue eyes, and the irresistibly cute pink pout her lips always seemed to form…she was perfect. Perfect in every way except that she was a cruel, double crossing, evil traitor.

Why should he care what happened to her? She sure hadn't given him any reasons as far as he was concerned.

Dom just didn't understand, he couldn't. He hadn't been there, thankfully, and he wasn't ready to share the details with him, maybe never would be. Dom was like a second father and he knew he could trust him with anything, but still some things he couldn't find it within himself to tell Dom in their entirety. He was undoubtedly disappointed in the way he had acted in the cockpit and probably with good reason the way he saw things. Without knowing the rest of the story.

Why did Lexa have to be so darn good at what she did? Maybe she was the ultimate spy; she definitely met the hard nosed, die hard, ruthless, and stealthy stereotype. What she seemed to lack was a heart, a conscience, and any feeling or care for the rest of humankind. Again he found himself wondering what had attracted him to her, what in the world had possessed him.

Bringing a little cup of coffee from the portable coffee maker in Airwolf, Caitlin sat down beside him and offered him some of the brew.

He gratefully took it, hoping the warm drink would help him calm down a bit, but all too knowing of where this was headed. As much as he didn't want to hear the riot act read to him yet again, he hoped she would continue with Dom's tactics and not through her previously used methods at the cabin because the emotions were already running far to close to the surface, acting by whatever came naturally, by instinct, instead of carefully planning every move. If she tried the comforting route, allowing him to release the tension and relax and share when he was ready instead of pressing him for immediate answers, he knew it would be far too easy to allow her under the barriers again, to let her slide in unnoticed until he had poured everything out. He wasn't that kind of person; he didn't work that way, and couldn't, wouldn't let her play comforter until he had nothing to do but put everything on the table. It wasn't any of her business and not her problem.

Setting the now empty cup down, he shifted away from Caitlin, making it clear she wasn't to try a stunt like at the cabin.

"Hawke," she addressed, not making any mention of his action but continuing on.

"I don't want to talk about it, Cait," he said simply.

"I know it's really none of my business so I'm not going to ask, but if you ever want to talk, about this or anything else…. Heck, even the weather," she added with a lighter note, "I want you to know I'll be there to listen."

"Thanks Cait."

And there she goes again, right under the radar, right under your own nose you idiot! Hypocritical much. He wouldn't give Lexa a second though if something happened to her right now, felt she had it coming for all the pain she caused, yet in the same thought he wanted to cuddle up right next to Caitlin, share his burden with her and tell her things he couldn't tell anyone else.

At one time he had had someone to share thing with, not quite in the same way, but just as effectively. The problem was, he wasn't here anymore, the silent comfort and shoulder to cry on had been missing nearly sixteen years along with his brother and he still didn't know when it would be back, but it would, he would make sure of that.

\A/

Dmitri caught her foot as Lexa tried to kick him, yanking it and causing her to fall in a heap on the concrete.

"Give up Lexa. You'll never make it out of Russia alive, half the Soviet Air force is after you already."

"Then you better send out the other half too because you of all people should know I'm not giving up without a fight," she snapped, taking him down at the knees and reaching for her knife even as he tried to scramble back up to his feet. Plunging the knife deep into Dmitri's leg, blood instantly gushing from the wound and pooling on the cold ground beneath him, he crumpled under his own weight.

Rolling up to her feet, Lexa wiped the blood off with Dmitri's jacket, concealing the knife once again and disappearing again as if nothing had ever happened.

Now all she had to was find her extraction team because they didn't seem to be too worried about finding her and she was getting mighty tired of Russia.

Only minutes ago a helicopter had flown overhead, easily recognizable to her as a Bell 222, yet unlike any helicopter she had seen previously.

It had only been visible for a moment, shrieking by faster than should have been possible and she found herself doubting whether or not it had actually ever been there at all, or if were only a figment of her imagination. A lot had happened in her time undercover, maybe a little too much…

No, I can't be loosing it, she told herself, she was better than that. Ever since basic training she'd had opposition, this wasn't a woman's job she'd been told, but she'd served above and beyond the call of duty for six years before joining the FIRM as a top undercover secret agent, rising above each challenge, proving herself again and again. She wasn't done yet, and she had made it out of scrapes far worse than this one.

She had seen that helicopter, she knew she had, she also knew, being a Russian double agent for the last three years, that was no Soviet aircraft, and that could only mean one thing. But why a helicopter? How had it even gotten through the Russian's sovereign airspace? It was no secret half the air force was paroling and looking for her, unless… There had been that prototype, the one Moffet had been working on, and it would have had plenty of potential if it were possible, and if there were a pilot who could fly it, helicopters were made for low level flight though. Imagine a low level helicopter at mach one!

It would take a lot more that one heck of a pilot to fly something like that, even if it were possible. She would be sure it would take longer than this to build and finalize all the detail and to build a fleet of them as planned. The idea of them sending in a one of a kind prototype was simply preposterous, unthinkable. If they were to lose it, the Russians would tear it apart, take whatever knowledge and technology they could and therefore cause the US to lose the gained advantage.

Nevertheless, something had been there and she had to find out what.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

"What happened?" Michael demanded.

"Airwolf just disappeared, there's some kind of interference obstruction the signal it should be sending off. That or the Russians disabled it."

"What can we do to get it back?"

"I'm resetting it in case something is cause interference but other than that there isn't much I can do but hope."

"What about the emergency locator on the agent?" Michael inquired.

"It was deactivated nineteen minutes ago. Before that she was headed toward the eastern coast where we lost sight of Airwolf."

"Did we 'lose sight' of her, or was the locator manually turned off?"

"It was destroyed, stepped on I believe."

"Try radioing Airwolf then and see what we find out."

\A/

"Airwolf, Knightsbridge, come in."

"I'm here Michael," Dominic answered.

"What's your status? We lost connection with you and Lexa's locator was destroyed."

"I'm just peachy, currently hiding in the cockpit to stay out of the storm out there. String is putting up a fuss bigger than I've seen in years. You have any idea what he and that agent of yours had in the past? Because he doesn't seem to like her much and we haven't even seen her yet."

"Classified, need to know basis only."

"Well I have a need to know! If something is eatin' him like that I have a right to know about it, at the very least so I don't say something to hurt him more."

"Sorry Dominic but I can't help you. I have the mission report, but I doubt anything of it would be much help to you anyway. There were only three people to go to for details on that one and now one of them is dead. The only other two are Lexa and Hawke.

"How long until you pickup the agent?"

"I don't know; I'm only along for the ride. String had everything planned out but he isn't currently talking to me."

"You can't just leave her out there while he throws a temper tantrum; we're talking about another global war!" the spy warned, incredulous.

"What do you me to do? Tranquilize him and pickup the first agent I find?" Dom demanded. "I don't know hardly anything about this all. He just said he needed our help if he planned on coming back at all so we trusted that and came along. Now he's hardly talking to me and we're just camped out here in the countryside for I don't know what."

\A/

"Hawke," Caitlin gently pried, realizing he was already burrowing deep within himself and that now was neither the time nor the place. "Hawke, I'm not saying you have to want to, even that you have to like it, but you did agree to take this mission and you haven't given Dom or me anything to work with. The air traffic has been picking up the last few minute and I'm sure police forces on the ground aren't any less so; we've got to pick up that agent and get out of here."

"I'm suddenly regretting taking this mission a lot more. I thought I was done with her, that I would never have to see her again after what she did, but now suddenly I have to risk my life, and those of the only family I have to rescue her of all people. Doesn't seem hardly fair. I didn't go after revenge, didn't try to hurt her, but that doesn't matter, she doesn't care who she hurts. The job - the mission- that's what she does, that's what she succeeds at and won't stop anything short of it.

"When we get back you want me to have Michael arrange a restraining order on her?" Caitlin offered.

"No," he answered, not particularly amused by her joke. "I'd like him to arrange a firing squad."

"Oh it can't be that bad."

"Yes it can, Cait. You weren't there; you wouldn't know. There is a reason she only gets assigned to one person missions and undercover work now. I am that reason."

"I don't see what you mean."

"I worked with her, worked for the FIRM."

"Yeah, but Airwolf missions…."

"No," Hawke interrupted. "Before Airwolf. After Saint John went missing I was desperate. I'd follow anything hoping to find him. My career didn't matter; my life didn't matter, only finding him. Finally I was _ordered_ home on leave; they thought some time away would help. I had already served my tour, my duty was done."

"So what happened?"

"I buried myself in my misery, had Dom drop me off at the cabin, much to his own personal displeasure, and I stayed for weeks on end, refusing to talk to or see anyone. The first time I came back to see Dom again was to tell him I had re-upped, I was going back to look for him."

"But you never found him," Caitlin supplied, knowing it to be fact rather than a question.

"I caught a round in the shoulder, and that kind of postponed my hunt. By the time I got out of the VA Saigon had fallen and the war was over. Saint John had just disappeared along with twenty five hundred others. Then I started following any lead I could find, as few and far between as they may be. A few mercenary jobs but I couldn't live like that either, going against the very same morals and standards I had set for myself and been taught my whole life. So I worked for the FIRM for a while, maybe not the best undercover agent ever but it was one more than they had and I could fly about anything they threw at me.

"She and I worked together, posed as husband and wife for a while and in return occasionally they would dig up something on my brother."

"You must've gotten along pretty well to work as husband and wife."

"Purely professional, at home it was a different story."

"So what went wrong?"

"I left for a while to chase a new lead on Saint John. I even planned for my absence with reasonable and logical explanations, but she was convinced I didn't care about the mission, that my brother was the only thing that mattered to me, that I would do anything, including blow our cover and risk both of our lives to follow whatever clue I could get a hold of. She wasn't too far off the mark, but I wasn't intending on sacrificing her life for his either; she didn't deserve that and didn't want that, but that didn't mean I wouldn't have given up my own life for his. To make a long story short, she didn't trust me and went in own her own to complete the mission, believed that I had betrayed her and our country. She broke her promise, totally blew our cover and nearly got me as well as many others killed because she couldn't trust me. Later I almost ended up with her again, even attempted to work things out between us, but she'd have no part in it, said she would rather I did die rescuing my brother because she wouldn't have to deal with me, and figured he'd be better without me anyways, everyone would."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"We got a couple of bogies coming this way," Dom warned over the loudspeaker.

"Guess duty calls," Hawke murmured to himself as he pushed up to feet and jogged towards Airwolf, Caitlin right behind.

Situating the helmet as he slid into the pilot's seat, Hawke called for the weapons to combat mode even as a strafing line of fire came thundering down directly in front of them, the vibrations shaking throughout the cockpit.

"You got the guns," Dominic confirmed once the ADF pods and chain guns slid out. With a gentle pull on the collective, the rotors angled forward and they gained purchase in the air, gliding out of the way of the second round of ammunition.

"They're MiG 25s, two of them armed with infrared R-40T and radar guided R-40R 'AA-6 Acrid' missiles."

Drifting backwards as she gained altitude, Airwolf avoided the MiG's first run narrowly.

"Full turbos in three," Hawke ordered, "two, one."

Dom shoved the lever up in the back and all of them slammed into the back of their seats as they shot forward, banking a hard right and coming up behind the first MiG, the second already gaining on them.

"Don't forget about the second," Dom reminded realizing how close it was coming.

"I know," String replied, maintaining his position in the wake of the first.

The MiG 25 in front began to climb, ascending suddenly, Airwolf on its tail.

"Load a Copperhead."

"Got it."

Firing the laser guided missile toward the Soviet aircraft, then immediately cutting the turbos and coming down in front of the second MiG, he had Dom load another missile. The MiG executed an aileron roll and evaded the Sidewinder. In return he let loose his two infrared missiles, forcing Hawke to suddenly yank the cyclic, lacking the time to worry about finesse. One soared past and crashed into the mountainside.

"Deploy a sunburst."

"Sunburst," Dom confirmed, then a second later a displeasured look crossed his face. "It didn't take the decoy, String. Time of impact five seconds."

"Give me all she's got and pressurize the cabin."

"You got it."

Climbing steadily, Airwolf flew just ahead of the Soviet missile, far too close for comfort, but unable to spare the necessary time to turn around and take it out. Reaching fifteen thousand feet, at last the missile began to lose its gained advantage on them and allowed the necessary time for Hawke to pilot the Lady around and shoot it down with a Hellfire.

"Just the MiG now," Caitlin informed, glad to have had the Acrid off their tail; admittedly that had been a little close.

Zipping past, the Russian pilot attempted to intimidate him, forcing him lower and lower towards the ground, but didn't quite know what to do when Hawke let off the turbos and dropped behind. Despite making a valiant effort to avoid it, a Copperhead too took it down, reducing the last MiG 25 to a burning metal frame, tongues of fire greedily licking up the insubstantial remains as it fell from the sky.

\A/

Caitlin sat quietly in the co-pilot's seat, eyes constantly on the screens and controls in front of her, but her mind wandered, amazed at the sudden attitude change between the two men. While it was still strictly business, both had immediately and seemingly thoughtlessly laid aside the differences they had in order to get the necessary job done. The disagreement would no doubt show up again later, but for now it was like it had never happened.

Pick up Michael's agent and go home - that was all they had to do and maybe, if she was lucky, she would miss the rest of the argument altogether; some things were better dealt with without outside interference, and that was exactly what she would be - interference.

"Do you have a location on her beacon yet?" Hawke asked, realizing no matter how much he would have liked to leave Lexa to fend for herself in Russia he couldn't for the sake of all the people that could so easily end up dead, or dying more slowly of radiation poisoning.

Once he delivered her back to Michael he wouldn't ever have to deal with her again, wouldn't even have to see her again, at least that was what he told himself.

He had planned on not seeing her again after he left the FIRM though and years later he was bailing her out of trouble. Ironic considering she had caused him a lot more problems than she was worth, almost getting him killed because she was hot with him and gave out a little too much information. After that, he had to bail her out…oh she better be glad she had those nuclear weapon schematics and DU munitions shell on her or he'd be more than happy to leave her butt behind and go watch the news at home until some massacre, probably started by her in the first place, caused her death.

"Nothing. It looks like it has been destroyed."

"You could try isolating a signal from the depleted uranium," Caitlin suggested.

"It's worth a short," both men acquiesced, sure couldn't hurt anything.

\A/

"I think I've got something," Dom called out. "Wait a minute. Uh-oh, I think she's in trouble."

"Just my luck," Hawke muttered. "I'll set down on the roof here and go see what the situation is, you stay with the Lady."

"But…"Dom objected.

"I don't want our Red friends getting anywhere near her," Hawke said, more of an order than request.

"What if you need backup? Who's going to bail you out when you get yourself into a heap of trouble?" the red headed pilot asked.

"I'll handle it."

"Sure you will."

Sliding out of the cockpit, he took the gun from his waistband and soon disappeared into the building.

"There were three of them against her, who knows what they've already done, and he doesn't even like her, and she's got a nuclear weapon…" Caitlin railed from the front seat. Then suddenly she stopped, picked up her own gun and looked down at it for a moment, deciding whether or not she should obey Hawke's orders. Drawing in a deep breath, she clutched it tighter, her decision made. "I'm going in after him." And before Dom had time to do anything - to try stopping her, or to wish her good luck- she was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Inside it was dark, only a few dim lights guiding through the narrow paths of crates and storage containers, and a faint dripping noise could be heard in the distance, but he ignored all those, straining his ears to hear the quiet conversation.

"Where is it?" one of them asked.

"Where is what?"

"You know exactly what I mean," the Russian snapped, "now stop playing dumb because I know you are far from it."

"But you aren't. If you had any sense you would know that I'd never tell you."

"You will tell me anything I want to know by the time I'm done with you," the third sneered advancing on her. Grabbing her by the hair and snatching it back, he looked down at her with brutally cold eyes, death reigning in them. "You hear me? Anything."

"Let the girl go," Hawke demanded, gun drawn.

"Or what?"

"Or you'll be dead faster than you can think about reaching for you gun."

Hawke, after all these years, Lexa thought, surprised to see it was him who had come to rescue her, still loyal to a fault, doing things for the greater good instead of the way he personally felt, pushing aside all the hatred she knew he had for her, because it was the right thing to do, what his country needed him to do… Too bad loyalty to a fault was still a fault.

"Behind you," she warned, knowingly too late.

"I believe it is you who is dead," a fourth, this one a woman, said. " Now drop your weapon, Mr. Hawke."

They knew him. How? Lexa should have been the only one able to identify him, but why would she tell them? They were on the same side, or so he thought.

"Now Hawke."

"Do it," Lexa hissed.

There were too many for him to take on and get her out, he decided, setting the Colt .45 to the ground, but keeping it as close as his captor would allow.

He watched as Lexa's eyes widened in horror, and he realized they still had no plans to keep him around. Instinct took over faster than he could think and he dove to cover even as the first shot rang out, nicking the corner of the wooden crate he had taken shelter behind.

It didn't take long for him to figure out he needed to recover his gun, but knowing it and being able to do it were two totally different things. And Lexa. He had to get her out too. The more he thought about it, the more difficult and complicated it seemed to get.

Another shot shattered the air, this one nearly catching him in the shoulder as he scrambled for cover from his new opponent. It was risky he knew it, but without him or Lexa being armed plus the fact they were out numbered two to one, there was no way around it; he had to gain some sort of advantage.

Diving for the floor as a third shot was fired, he grabbed the gun, rolling out of harm's warm for the moment.

"Get the girl!" he heard one Russian yell on his left while Lexa knocked another to his knees, slamming his own gun into the back of his skull.

"Watch out!" he yelled in Lexa's direction, scurrying out of the way just barely in time to avoid being shot.

With the gun stolen from the Russian she had brought down, she shot in the direction of where the last bullet had originated, but the shot went wide. It did, however, achieve forcing him out of his hiding place and into the open long enough for Hawke to get a shot at him.

Seemingly out of nowhere, another two shots were fired, catching Hawke in the side, ripping through his flesh with a fiery burn. Another sounded, taking out his attacker with a single round, and the Russian fell to the ground with an audible thud.

Only one left, Hawke told himself, clutching his bleeding side. Struggling to his feet only to have his knees buckle and give way beneath him, he could already feel himself about to hit the ground when strong yet delicate hands caught him, easing him down more gently.

Eyes closed and breathing hard, he could hear Lexa's footsteps echoing off in the distance as she pounded off after the escaping Russian patrolman. He was alone now, or so he thought.

He should go after them in case she needed help, he told himself, knowing full and well she could take care of herself as well as he could. But at the very least he should take at the wound - see how bad it was - but he wasn't sure he was quite that brave at the moment. It sure hurt bad enough, that was for sure. Get over yourself, Hawke, you've been through worse; right now you have to go back up Lexa before things get even worse. He had started to roll over, to attempt getting to his feet so he could stagger after her, bloodied gun in hand, when he realized he wasn't alone.

A firm hand stopped him with little effort, not that it would have taken much, Hawke admitted to himself ruefully.

"She'll be fine," Caitlin's familiar voice told him. "Question is - will you?"

"I'll live," Hawke rasped wearily. "I should go after her though."

"Dom and Airwolf can take care of that. Now hold still a minute and let me have a look at that."

Carefully moving his hand, she examined the wound. It didn't look good by any stretch but it could have been worse.

"Looks like it passed all the way through to me. You should live, but we still need to get some antiseptic on it until we can get you to a doctor."

"Both passed through?"

"Both?"

"Yeah," he replied with grimace, trying not very successfully to hide the pain he was in.

"Maybe we should go ahead and see about getting you to a doctor."

"No, we're in Russia, Cait. And I kind of doubt they're really going to be all that hospitable after what we've done to their police force, especially considering we aren't even supposed to be here."

"Maybe Michael has a FIRM clinic," she suggested.

"I'll be fine," he assured her, suppressing a groan as he struggled into a sitting position. "For now let's get Lexa and go home. We've come this far, and I'd rather not be caught in World War III."

"Fair enough," she acquiesced, "but only if you promise to tell me if it gets any worse and let me bandage you up once we get back to Airwolf."

"I think I can handle that," he managed with a withering grin.

"Then let's get going before you get any weaker. I don't want to have to carry you up all those stairs back to the roof."

"There are a few aren't there?"

"A few? Try fourteen few flights of them."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Panting, Lexa stopped, chewing herself out for not catching up with the Russian. "What kind of agent are you?" she demanded of herself, irritation easily evident in her voice, "You worthless, useless, stupid…"

"Hey, hey, hey," Dom admonished. "There's no need for verbal abuse."

Spinning around madly, gun drawn instinctively, Lexa flashed a warning in her ruthless cold blue eyes not to come any closer. "Who are you?" she demanded warily.

"My name is Dominic Santini and I'm here to take you back to the US before the Soviets start World War III over here."

"You don't look like FIRM, and they already sent that arrogant, mercenary, self-pitying, egotistic jerk pilot Hawke to get me out."

"Don't talk about my friend like that," Dom warned firmly, letting in be known to her that such insults were not going to be accepted.

"You're his friend?" she asked incredulously as if no one in their right mind would willingly come within fifty feet of him.

"Yes, I am. Now could we get out of here before the entire Russian army is after us?"

"I didn't catch him," Lexa objected, "have to find him."

"If you didn't catch up with him, that gives us yet another reason to get out of their country. Now I have to go pick up String and Cait back at the warehouse, and if you'd like to keep your life, I suggest you come with me."

"But…"

"No buts. Our job was to get you and whatever you took back to the states, that's it. So I suggest you haul yourself back over to that helicopter before I have to do it for you."

"The forceful type, eh?"

"If I have to be. Now, are you going or not?"

"Yeah I'm going," she answered, still moving none too quickly. "So how did you end up with that arrogant pilot 'friend' of yours? He never seemed the type to have many friends to me. All he cared about was bringing his missing brother back no matter what it cost him or anyone around him."

"I raised them after their parents drowned in a boating accident," Dominic replied, still not sure of just how much he could trust this agent. String made it obvious he didn't really want anything to do with her, and he had already realized she could be a real pain if she wanted to be.

"Ah, yes. I think he did mention you at some point. You must be a good friend to have made it past all that armor plating he's caged himself in. Before he left to go after his brother, he said something about regretting not being able to tell you goodbye if he didn't come back." Lexa shrugged, changing the subject as abruptly as it had come about. "Where is he anyway? I would have figured he would have shown up by now if he was coming."

"Like I said, we're meeting them at the warehouse."

"Oh yeah, nearly forgot. You've got a good first aid kit in that there chopper of yours, don't you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I think he might have gotten grazed in that gunfight back there."

"He what?!" Dom demanded, temper flaring. "And you left him?!"

"That girl seemed to be taking pretty good care of him - red head, slender build, and nice shot too. I'm guessing she would be the third man in your party, or in this case woman."

\A/

"Almost there," Caitlin encouraged, urging Hawke on. If he was trying to pretend he wasn't as bad off as he looked, he was doing a lousy job, or so she hoped. If he was doing a good job, then it was amazing he was still on his feet, wavering or not. "Only a couple more."

As she helped him towards the last flight, she couldn't help but worry one of those rounds had hit something important. She was no doctor, but there was no denying he had already lost a lot of blood. The strips of material she had tied around his midsection to slow the bleeding had already been soaked through and his hand which constantly clung to his side, probably in pure agony, now came away with plenty more of the sticky red substance. Crossing the street and climbing thirteen flights of stairs couldn't be helping matters any, but still it remained a point of concern.

"Cait, I'm not sure I can make it," he panted, lungs burning as he struggled to draw in each breath.

"We're almost there."

"You told me to tell you if it started to hurt more, and has been for a while, a whole hell of a lot more," he grimaced.

"You're not quitting on me are me you, soldier?"

"I'm no soldier anymore, Cait, haven't been for a while."

"You telling me you don't have what it takes anymore?" she challenged. "Rumor has it you caught a good a good one in the shoulder back in 'Nam, and near bled out 'cause you insisted you look for your brother first instead of getting medical treatment, wouldn't have figured you for a quitter."

"Never said I was, but I'm not nineteen anymore either."

"Loosing it as you get old, Stringfellow?" she taunted.

"Not quite ready to retire yet," he countered. He knew what she was up to, and while he'd still like to have slapped her for the shots she was calling on him, he was grateful all the same.

"Oh? Not quite ready, huh?"

"No, I figure I should have another ten to fifteen years bare minimum."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

By the time Airwolf had landed on the roof of the building next to the warehouse, Hawke and Caitlin were already making their way towards them.

Dom started to move out of the way when Hawke made clear his intentions to take up his usual position as pilot until he saw the condition his younger friend was in.

"She said you might be grazed," Dom objected, "not that you were likely to bleed to death if we don't get you some help within five minutes."

"I'll be okay," Hawke replied, fighting down a wave of nausea. So maybe flying wasn't the greatest idea, but he'd rather take post as pilot and be able to control their flight himself instead of being in the back with someone fussing over him the whole time and having to ask for every correction to make the ride as easy on him as possible, and making his every weakness known to all the occupants of the cockpit.

"Sure you will, String."

"You did say you'd behave and let me bandage you up once we got back to Airwolf," Caitlin added, "wouldn't want to get blood all over the cockpit, would we? Talk about a mess to clean up."

"Let him."

All eyes darted to the jump seat in the back where Lexa had remained quiet until now.

"If he wants to fly so badly, let him. Someone will have to sit in the co-pilot's seat anyway; they can take over if he has any problems."

String didn't know whether to be grateful of wary. Was she actually on his side, or was this merely an attempt to prove his weaknesses? One thing was for sure, if he did win this argument, he wouldn't be found passed out in the pilot's seat, he simply wouldn't.

\A/

"You still doing okay up there, String?" Dominic asked, feeling a somewhat sudden change in the aircraft's flight.

"Fine," he lied. In all actuality he knew he was anything but it. Forget his pride and strength, passing out sounded heavenly at the moment, but instead he didn't think he'd be able to if he tried. He was forced to remain in agonizingly uncomfortable and painful consciousness.

It would only be a few hours, he kept trying to console himself, and if he could manage a little extra speed without tossing his cookies, a little less time still, but they couldn't be home soon enough.

"Uh-oh. We've got company, String," Dom warned from behind the engineer's console. "Looks like the Russian air force has finally caught up."

His already aching insides rebelled at even the thought of taking on a sandwich at the moment, much less the whole Soviet airborne military.

"Are you up to it?" Caitlin asked, not needing to his grimace to know the pain he was in. His rewrapped midsection already had new blood stains that had soaked through, indicating the bleeding hadn't stopped if even slowed, and she knew that couldn't be a good sign.

"Better be," he muttered, "otherwise I don't have any business being in the pilot's seat."

Was that a rebuttal at her questioning him, or self doubt? Telling himself he didn't deserve the position he had taken? She hoped it was the first, for all their sakes.

"Couple of MiG's and a Hind following them in."

MiG's _and_ a Hind. It just wasn't his day. Why did they have to send him a Hind today?

Airwolf was aesthetically pleasing, but deadly and shark-like all the same, yet she had nothing on a Hind. It's bulky nose may not be as nice as her sleek one, nor its winglets as streamlined, but they housed a whole armory underneath them, having AGS-17 gun pods, S-5 rocket launchers, S-24 240mm rockets, and 9M17 Phalangas not uncommon. Airwolf had speed on him, and hopefully pilot experience, talent, and a whole lot of luck on her side; otherwise they were toast, burnt toast.

"The MiG's are closing fast, the first one coming into missile range at five o'clock."

"Wasn't quite what I had in mind for five o'clock somewhere."

"No margaritas and beach babes for you," Lexa retorted, " never took you for that type much anyway though so you shouldn't mind much."

"I might be that type if it's instead of fighting off the Russian air force."

"Not even close, buddy. I'm sure it's not like you haven't taken out a Hind or two in your day, and this big bird is pretty well suited for that kind of thing."

"My day isn't over, and Hinds aren't exactly hovering in a line waiting for me to shoot them out of the sky."

"If Moffet did get this thing up to specs then you should at least be able to turn tail and run if you get tired of playing tag with the Russians."

"They've got a rocket off," Caitlin warned, interrupting their repartee. "It's a Phalanga, radio controlled."

He didn't like the idea of having to try and loose it, but it looked like he wasn't getting any choice in the matter.

Banking a hard right, his stomach rolling as he did so, the missile followed.

"Still after us," Dom warned. "Impact in five seconds."

Whipping around the mountainside again, Airwolf fishtailed around in a tight corner, turning to face the coming missile head on.

"Hellfire."

"Hellfire," Dom confirmed without hesitation. There was no time for that. He knew they were far closer than they should have been, but the alternative was they all ended up dead.

The reverberations from the explosion shook throughout the cockpit, rocking them uneasily.

After a moment, Hawke had stabilized the helicopter but his own world continued to rattle relentlessly.

"Where are the MiG's?" he asked, still trying to sort everything out while keeping them in air.

"Coming around the corner dead ahead."

Dead ahead was right.

"Give me another missile."

Soon the Soviet fighter had met a fate similar to that of its missile, a burning fireball all that was left. But the battle wasn't over yet.

The second MiG was by now directly above them and the Hind nowhere in sight.

"Where is that Hind?"

"It's not on any of the scopes," Caitlin and Dom both reported.

"Well find it," Hawke bit out irritably, "that is one thins I _**don't**_ want sneaking up on me.

"Oh damn," Hawke muttered biting back a miserable whimper as a sudden new agonizing pain coursed through his body.

"What?" the other occupants asked together.

"Nothing," he respond suppressing another groan. "It'll have to wait.

"Load an Agile and give me turbos, Dom."

With a challenging howl Airwolf shot off through the sky in pursuit of the second MiG. Once it was in range, Hawke fired the Agile for what was sure to be a direct hit, but, rolling at the last minute, the MiG avoided certain death.

"Another one," Hawke ordered, knowing all too well the increasingly unbearable pain in side couldn't be a good thing as he fought to maintain conscientiousness and that the Hind was likely to be making a reappearance any time.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

It had been one heck of a ride, but now all scopes appeared to be clear and they were ready to go home.

"String, why don't you let Cait take over for a while," Dom suggested,now hearing the clearly audible heavy breathing over the headset.

"No," Hawke rasped in reply.

"Hawke, please," Caitlin requested, "just for a while. A long flight from Russian isn't anything all that exciting or something you haven't done before."

Hawke shook his head adamantly then spoke at the same time as realization hit Lexa.

"The Hind."

Reappearing from beyond the horizon, the Hind came up, slowly, but loaded for bare.

Four missiles came pelting towards them at breakneck speed, right on their six before any of them even had time for a surprised look to cross their face.

"Climb!" Lexa ordered, "climb now."

If anything, dropping down looked to be the safer bet her, flying on the deck being preferable to dodging missiles at higher altitudes.

They lost a few feet, heading for the ground instead of higher up.

"No you need to climb," Lexa instructed, " whatever you do, don't, **do not** drop altitude."

"Last I checked, I was the one with more combat flying experience, the one who didn't give up flying. And you aren't the one flying, are you?"

"I'm going to climb over this console and pound you if you don't climb already, dammit, I know what I'm talking about."

"I have flown combat before, far more than you actually."

"You stupid, stubborn, bloody idiot!" Lexa screeched as she clawed off the seat restraints and struggled towards him, fighting for the stick despite their desperate situation.

"Lexa!" Dominic placated, laying a restraining hand on her.

"He's going to get us killed!" she spat, "cause he's too pigheaded and stubborn to listen to me."

The first missile flew by, soaring past them and plowing into the mountainside, missing them easily.

"See we're fine."

"They aren't supposed to hit you, they aren't that stupid. They're trying to force you down."

"Then we fly on the deck, we can always out run the Hind."

"But not the missiles," Lexa reminded. "If necessary they'll shoot you down, but that isn't the plan. They want to force you down, to take you and Airwolf captive. There was a double agent that messed up their first attempt, but this one will not fail if you don't listen to me. There are more waiting for you if by chance you did make it past the Hind."

The second missile crossed their path, this time closer, but not injuring the aircraft's integrity as Hawke started to adjust their course.

"You had better be right."

"Trust me, I know."

"And just how do you know?"

"Look Hawke, I'm sorry you got shot over something that shouldn't have really been your problem, but you signed up knowing the risks. I couldn't let anyone else know, not ever you. It had to be realistic and I couldn't risk it."

"So getting shot wasn't even necessary? I risked my life for you for no good reason?" he growled. "I should have followed my instincts and left in in Russia. You know, there are more important things than finishing every mission no matter what the cost. You have to keep in mind the reason for the mission. Would it really do any good to technically have a successful mission and rescue one man if cost the lives of everyone else in your group?"

"It would still be a success. When someone, anyone, goes to work for an agency like the FIRM, they know there are inevitable inherent risks. They agree to take those chances same as you and I did. If you don't like it, leave, like I thought you were planning on doing. What, you find out you were more of an adrenaline junkie than you care to admit?"

"My brother," Hawke retorted.

"The FIRM lets you fly their suped up jet copter so you can look for your MIA brother who had been missing over fifteen years? Somehow I doubt it."

"They don't have much choice. I took her and hid her after Moffet stole Airwolf and took her to Libya, only to be returned when they find Saint John."

"Yeah," she said, still skeptical.

"Don't forget about the missiles," Dom interrupted.

"Chaff."

The chaff took out the remaining missile, but the Hind's intrepid pilot was far from giving in.

Gunfire from the GSh-30K side mounted guns chattered along Airwolf's metallic sides.

"Bring up an Agile."

"Agile," Caitlin confirmed.

"Gunfire continued to rain down from the Russian Hind whose pilot apparently wasn't getting the fact Airwolf was armor plated, or maybe he just wanted them to think that was the case.

Suddenly dropping several feet and drifting toward the left, the Mil Mi-24 shifted its vantage spot and round after round of ammunition pelted toward the rotors.

"We're hit in the tail rotor bad," Dom warned unnecessarily. Before he had even said a word, Hawke could feel the aircraft buck him as he struggled to keep her in line.

"Cut the engines."

Dom obeyed and watched the bulky Soviet helicopter fly by them, then the Agile as the two collided raining tongues of fire and shrapnel. The eruption shook them all, pieces of metal being flung against the fuselage and bulletproof glass windscreen.

"Give me turbos," he requested.

Dom acquiesced, but not without warning. "We can't make it all the way home like this. The turbines would overheat and besides that we'll never make it to the fuel pickup."

"Got in better ideas?"

"Well, what are you planning on doing?" Lexa piped in.

He shrugged in response. "I don't know yet. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

"Still no news, sir," Marella reported to her boss. Since they had lost contact with Airwolf and the agent things had steadily been getting worse; there had been some malfunction with one of the alarm systems, then half the power had gone out, and communications were erratic at best. Even if Airwolf was out there somewhere, radioing even, they might never know. The series of midair refuels was still in place, but Airwolf hadn't made it to any of them yet and was already nearly two hours behind schedule.

The single fan in the office was doing little to keep the summer's heat at bay, and between that and the already stressed atmosphere, this wait was becoming simply unbearable. The committee understandably wanted answers and were constantly on Michael's case and would continue to be until he gave them some answers. Unfortunately he had no answers to give, didn't even know if the team had survived or could possibly be stranded somewhere or captured. The possibilities were countless and the miles between here and there numerous, but the ends couldn't be left loose, somebody had to know something.

"Set up the video link, I've got to try reaching them."

"Sir, the generators can't all that to the load; they're barely keeping up as it is."

"I don't care how; just make it happen, even if you have to take everything else off. I need it now."

\A/

Zeus, flanked by half the committee on his left and the other half at his right, entered the office not non-unobtrusively.

"What do you think you are doing, Archangel?" Zeus demanded, clearly agitated at loosing the power to everything else that had been running.

"Radioing Hawke and his crew."

"This is a FIRM mission, and we must meet together to discuss anything with Hawke, and he had better not have anyone else other than that agent with him," Zeus added, a distinct threat edging his words.

Michael refused to back down. "Hawke has whoever he wants to have with him with him, and I need to contact him to find out what is holding them up. The communications and electronics in general are so screwed up here right now, I thought by the time I got everyone in there together and arguing over how you should attempt nailing Hawke to the wall this time the link might not hold."

"You're overstepping your boundaries. You-"

"No," the deputy director interrupted, "you are loosing sight of why we have these covert missions in the first place, letting your title go to your head. Hawke has risked his life far too many times because of you and your precious flock of sheep. That's all the others are, followers, to do whatever you want them to whenever you tell them to do it."

"You can officially consider yourself suspended," Zeus declared, "and you had better be glad you didn't loose your job. One more word about it and you will have though."

"Fine," Michael answered. "But you'll want me back when you realize Hawke doesn't for the FIRM, doesn't work for you; he doesn't even like you."

With that, he grabbed his cane, spinning defiantly on his heels as he left the building. And the gaping mouths of the entire committee.

\A/

**Archangel's Condo**

**11:15 pm**

Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III sat in his luxurious overstuffed chair in his living room, thinking.

If Hawke and his crew had made it out of Russia, where were they now? Why hadn't they shown up? If they hadn't made it, who or what had hampered their escape? Were any of them still alive, perhaps captive somewhere? Had Airwolf made it in one piece, or was it resting in tiny fragments at the bottom of some canyon?

Question after question bombarded him, leaving him curious and confused, but no trace of an answer in any of them. He couldn't turn his back on them, not after what they had put on the line for him. Instead he had pushed his luck, pushed it a little too far, he admitted to himself ruefully. But they had gone after him when the committee had turned their backs, risked it all and expected nothing in return, and it was only fair to return the favor if at all possible.

Maybe he was getting too soft in his old age, but any man with a conscience couldn't leave them all to die or at least find out what happened. But how? Now being suspended didn't help his chances any, and while he did truly believe Zeus would eventually call him back, if nothing else just to call Hawke and his dogs off when he came back, but that didn't help him any now.

Marella along with the rest of his staff was still there, but he couldn't asked them to throw away their careers too, especially since none of them even knew what he was up to until that afternoon. He was suspended and there was nothing else to do other than roll over and give in like they wanted, that was the only option there was. Unless….

It was late and he should get to bed, allow himself time to think through things before making any rash decisions. Pushing to his feet, he started to shuffle off toward his bedroom until he heard a knock at the door. Who would be here at this hour? he wondered. Who would be here period?

After a moment's pause, the soft knocking could be heard again.

Changing direction, he moved back in the direction of the door. Opening in cautiously, he revealed a very familiar white clad female.

"Marella?"

"Sorry to come by so late," she apologized. "But I thought you should see this," Marella said, handing over a recently printed report. Airwolf rendezvoused with the first refueling tanker an hour ago and left a message that they were going to be back as soon as possible but were having a few technical problems."

"Anything we can do to help?"

"The committee doesn't know yet, but I arranged for some extra fuel pickups since they have to fly all the way back using turbos, and then I believe they're planning to land up at Santini Air to do some repairs."

"They could land it at the FIRM hangar where the supplies and parts since that is were the supplies and parts would have to come in anyway," Michael suggested.

"I already suggested that, but Hawke said they would need a good long runway since they have to come in like a jet, and personally I don't think he liked the idea anymore than Zeus currently likes you."

"Very well. Thank you, Marella. And if you hear from them, tell them I'll be looking forward to seeing them arrive back in one piece."

"Marella nodded. "Well, again sorry for having bothered you so late, but-"

"But it is greatly appreciated," Michael finished. He knew she had risked her job for him and Hawke, she knew it had been risky, but nothing would change that she had been brave enough to take that chance.

"Do you want to come in, get a cup of coffee or something? I'm sure you've had a long day and I know you deserve it."

"I…" she should get home - to a lonely, empty house. A frozen dinner in the freezer was all that awaited her, that and darkness, and well, not much of anything that couldn't wait. "A cup of coffee would be great."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

"Hawke, leave it," Caitlin told him, gently tugging on his grey flight suit.

"I should go help. It's my fault the thing is messed up in the first place."

"Not your fault, that could have easily happened with any of us flying, and you kept us alive and unhurt, that's what matters."

"Didn't do so well with Dom's Lady though. The only reason he probably isn't already down my throat is because he feels bad that I got shot."

"That's another issue we need to address."

"What? Now you're the self appointed flight doctor too?"

"Hey, you do what is necessary," Caitlin quipped. "Besides, somebody has to look after you; otherwise who would have shot that Russian for you when he was-"

"About to blow my brains out," Hawke finished tactlessly. "Yeah I know. I guess even I need someone covering my back occasionally, and I sure would rather have you on my side than against me.

"Now can I please go see if I can be of any help to Dom and Lexa?"

"Not until I have another look at that wound of yours."

"It'll be fine," Hawke objected even as she gently pulled him down to her level where she was sitting. "It's not the first time I've been shot and probably not going to be the last if I keep up in this business."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't still show a little concern," Caitlin chided, "and you haven't exactly had a weekend of rest and relaxation, and you have lost a lot of blood."

"I haven't _lost _it," String argued just to be difficult. "I know exactly where it is - in a nice puddle on the floor back at the warehouse."

"Yeah and soaking through those bandages and all over your flight suit, and probably the whole front of the cockpit. Now just sit still a minute and let me clean it up so you can go back to saving the world."

With Airwolf's first aid kit at her side, Caitlin unbandaged the gunshot wound, poured more antiseptic on it, and rewrapped it within minutes.

"How bad does it look?" Hawke asked once she was finished.

"Not too great," Caitlin admitted, "but then again, I don't guess any bullet wound would. I am afraid it might be starting to get infected though."

"Wouldn't surprise me, hurts like hell."

"You want something for the pain? There's practically a whole pharmacy in there, something has to help."

He shook his head in response.

"You sure? I mean there isn't any reason for you to be in pain when-"

"Can't," Hawke interrupted, "can't afford anything else clouding my vision or judgment when I'm flying."

"Stringfellow Hawke, you have got to be the most stubborn…. There are two other perfectly able pilots and you still insist on flying yourself."

"Three."

"What?"

"There are three other pilots. Lexa's a pilot too - flies about anything from hang gliders to fighter jets - or at least she used to. If anyone else flies I want it to be her."

This made no sense to her, Caitlin thought irritably. He doesn't like this agent, practically despises her, but if anyone else were to fly it had to be her - the one he didn't like. Did he really not make that much sense or was she just that confused?

"That job for Michael I told you about, after that we both worked on the Airwolf project for a while, even both competed against each other for chief test pilot, but something happened. She crashed on one of the test models, tore it up pretty bad. Everyone tried to tell her it was a machinery malfunction, one of the inherent risks of testing, but she couldn't be convinced. She doesn't mind flying with someone else usually, but refuses to do it herself;she's too afraid she will crash again and take everyone down with her."

"Why did she practically climb over the engineer's console to get you to fly upwards instead of dropping down then?"

"She knew she wouldn't ever make it that far. Besides, she doesn't trust her flying skills, but considers her judgment fine."

"And do you agree?"

"I trust her flying ability; we just don't have much other we can agree on."

\A/

The lighting was less than adequate for the task at hand, requiring much concentration, but not enough to distract Lexa's keen ears.

Before she even turned around, she knew it was Hawke, but someone else was there too, probably his girl, she told herself, Caitlin did seem to have a way with him, yet in some ways they seemed very distant. Wonder why? She mused, already figuring she had that answer. Hawke didn't share much abut his past and that made it had for anyone to really get to know him.

When she did turn to face him, she was hit with a major wave of déjà vu.

_Long blond hair blowing in the wind, she stood, arms crossed and scowling as Hawke lighted out of the medivac helicopter, side bandaged and limping, serious faced and grim, but he was here. _

"_Finally decided to rejoin me?" she sneered. "Well don't bother. I don't want to work with someone who just leaves without explanation. You could have ruined everything!"_

"_I told you, I was looking for my brother; I covered my tracks. You're the one who almost got me killed."_

"_Me?"_

"_You sent half the army after me when I was trying to sneak in, and somewhere there was some miscommunication because many of the same ones that came to rescue me before I needed rescuing ended up against me before everything was done."_

"_Well do you at least feel better? You've gotten your butt shot at, near blown yourself to bits and still haven't found your brother. I always heard you were a cynic, but you seem more like the opposite, helplessly blind to the fact he has been missing eleven years and it would take nothing short of a miracle for him to still be alive, much less in any condition for him to ever live a halfway normal life."_

"_Don't you ever say another word against my brother, or so help me…"_

"_Don't worry. After this I'll make sure I do all I can to stay out of your life because I sure don't want you in mine."_

With that they had departed, intending to never have to see each other again. So much for that. He was consumed by an overwhelming determination to find his MIA brother, and her devotion was for the agency she worked for; she had vowed to protect her country to the best of her ability, and nowhere did she find any gray area there. Do what you're told, when you're told to do it, no exceptions. He, on the other hand, thought there was more than that. He believed in most things being black and white, but there were still other things that mattered - family, country, morals, values, loyalty, integrity. To her if you did the duty expected all the others simply fell in line. It was a difference they couldn't overcome, one unscalable obstacle, so they would just have to keep to themselves as much as possible and stumble through the rest.

That was difficult to do now though; it was too similar.

Slightly long locks of brown fringe hung over his forehead, ruffled in the breeze as he moved stiffly toward her, newly wrapped bandages showing vividly in contrast to his blood stained grey flight suit.

"How's it coming?"

Dom shook his head. "Not much luck yet."

"Marella arranged the extra fuel pickups. We'll just have to use turbos until we get back then do the repairs at the hangar."

"After we send you to the hospital."

"I'm fine, Dom. If I've made it this far, what's the point now?"

"They've got hospitals up here even though it's nearly the arctic and I'll take you right now if I have to."

"I'm okay."

"Sure you are. Now let's get back in that cockpit and get home before we start getting hypothermia."

String agreed readily. He had had his battles there already and he **never** wanted to go there again.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

**Knightsbridge**

**The Following Morning**

**7:45 am**

Maria sat at the big desk recording the details of the Airwolf crew's progress and calculating the approximate time they should should come in for debriefing and medical attention for Hawke soon after arriving, and she estimated within the day, most likely by about one o'clock at the latest. Everything was going as close to planned for as could be hoped.

"Good morning," Marella greeted as she walked across, casting an inconspicuous glance at the junior aid and entered Michael's office. During his absence she had taken over most of his duties, including the ones she wasn't supposed to be doing like maintaining contact with Airwolf and preparing for their arrival.

"Morning check in," Hawke radioed in.

"Keep it quick and quiet," Marella instructed. "Michael has already gotten suspended for this, and I have a feeling that something else is wrong."

"We should make it back to the hangar in about forty minutes. Do you want us to come in right after that or…"

"With Michael being suspended I'd say not worry about it until later," Marella answered, "but-"

Her sentence was cut short by a security breach alarm then an irritating, shrill whine came over the lone and the connection was lost.

\A/

She's not in any condition for this," Dom warned, the safe operating temperatures for the turbines well exceeded long ago. "You're tearing her apart."

"She'll hold together."

"And what if she doesn't?"

"Then we have a problem."

"A problem? Then we would have a problem. Archangel was right about your facility for understatement."

He shrugged, unsuccessfully trying to let out some of the tension in his shoulders from the long, and fast, flight. For doing mach one, it sure seemed to be taking an awfully long time; of course the breaks that they kept having to take to let her cool off had nothing to do with that. Speaking of which, they were overdue for a break,way overdue according to Dom's reading, but they couldn't stop now. They hadn't been able to get a hold of Marella since the interference and the alarms sounding in the background probably weren't a good thing.

Coming up on the runway, Hawke lowered the landing gear and cut the engines, gliding closer and closer to the ground until at last the wheels came into contact with the ground.

\A/

Stiletto heels clicked quickly along the tile floor as Marella headed for the archive room where the security breach had been, but no one was in sight. Every file and paper looked to be exactly as it should be. But why? For someone to go to as much trouble as to break in and risk getting caught there had to be some reason.

Behind her the door clicked shut and then suddenly she knew the reason. The archives never were the main target but merely a diversion and she had been foolish enough to fall for it.

She was the only one in the wing, everyone else evacuated and security obviously not planning on coming; she was on her own with this one, but she was damned is she was going to let them, whoever it was, walk away with information or articles that could prove to be fatal to some agents or civilians if they were to make it into the wrong hands.

\A/

Airwolf now safely secured inside the hangar, Dominic and Lexa were already in the jeep and ready to go, Hawke and Caitlin jogging up to join them.

Stumbling just ahead of her, Caitlin realized just how bad Hawke looked. The last thing he needed to doing right now was going into another mess, possibly gunfight.

"Hawke," Caitlin sighed.

"No Cait," he told her adamantly, shaking away the sudden dizziness that overcame him. It was all or nothing, and now the time to prove what he was really made of.

"String, stay," she said, more of an order than a request. "We'll handle it."

"I'm coming," he retorted defiantly, no need for further explanations. For better or for worse he was in it now. Situating himself inside the jeep in the last available seat, they were off to find out what havoc reined at Knightsbridge.

\A/

Hearing the audible 'clink' as the locking mechanisms slid over, Marella dropped the bobby pin to the ground and pushed the door open, dashing down the hall the moment it was open.

The constantly growing closer noise of heels clicking against the floor in the distance echoed through her head, fingers flying deftly over the key code and opening the door to the secured file room. She was at the top now.

Moving straight to the 'A' section, Maria fingered through the folders until she found the one she wanted - A-56-7W. Four more to go. Using the neat organization of the file room to her advantage, she picked through the manila folders until she found the ones she wanted on Stringfellow Hawke, Dominic Santini, Caitlin O'Shaunessey, and "Archangel" Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III. And just for good measure she threw in one for Saint John Hawke. Sliding the last drawer back into place, she stuck the stack of file under her arm and disappeared from the room, leaving to evidence she had ever been there in the first place.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16 **

"Where could they have gotten to?" Marella muttered. If only she knew where they were, she could electronically disable the card swipes and codes, but how was there to know? Other people who were supposed to be there could just as easily be legitimately coming in and going, and she had to be able to get through, so that wouldn't help either.

Dark almond brown eyes staring intently at the screen, fingers flying over the keyboard, she pulled up a screen showing every identity of card swipes and codes.

Zeus on the first floor, east wing - someone she wanted to avoid at the moment; John Thompson, janitor, second floor, north wing, then not a hundred feet ahead, Apollo, a committee member, entered into the aviation mechanics' wing.

"There. There's your mistake." Leaping up from her chair to follow the intruder, Marella almost missed the next name screen pulled up. An agent Hawke in the north hangar. But Hawke wasn't here last she knew and his agent code should have been overwritten when he officially left the FIRM five and a half years ago. No doubt about it, this was it.

\A/

The Santini Air jeep pulled into a parking lot congested with agents, mechanics, and pilots alike trying to get out, and none of them appeared to be very good drivers, and all of them seriously lacking in the patience area.

"Stop here," Hawke told Dom. There was no point in attempting to go any further by vehicle; it wouldn't be of any help. Scarcely had they shifted into park, and he was out, running for the building.

"Hawke wait!" Cait yelled, but he ignored her, drawing his Colt .45 from his waistband and disappearing into the FIRM office.

"Let him go," Lexa said, "He's a big boy and he can take care of himself. Besides, we can find them quicker if we split up."

"Do we even know who we're looking for?" Dominic interjected.

"No exactly. Whoever isn't supposed to be there, of if you find Marella she might have some clue what's going on," Lexa replied, then charged in after Hawke.

Dom shook his head despite himself. "Let's go then," he said, he and Caitlin taking the other end of the building.

\A/

Time to get moving. Now not only the stiletto click of Marella's shoes, but also many booted feet roamed the halls. Too many people, far too many, but this was why she had all the training she did, to learn to work with what she had and deal with the unexpected and often unwanted surprises.

Clutching the folders tighter, she ran, soft soled shoes making no sound, but that darned white shirt swishing in all the wrong places, occasionally brushing and knocking things off desks as she went. Only a little further and she would be home free. The footsteps narrowed in on her, booted ones toward the left and Marella's on the right. Too risky, she decided, ducking into and empty room and hiding in the shadows.

\A/

Quick, long stride eating up the ground, Lexa started covering every inch of the FIRM headquarters, every nook and cranny still vivid in her memory despite the fact she hadn't been here in over two years. An over turned chair caught her eye, disclosing whoever this intruder or rogue agent was knew they were hot on the trail and it wouldn't be safe much longer. Following the clue, she started down the narrow hallway until prey turned predator and a hard hand came across her throat, cutting out her air supply. Pounding an elbow into her attacker's stomach and using her own weight as leverage, she flipped Maria over her shoulder, a mass of white coming down in a flurry before her in a heap on the floor,

"So you're one of Michael's angels."

"Not angel, never did like white much. That black helicopter though… now that's a treasure. Kind of like that pilot too, not a bad combination if you know what I mean," the agent corrected as she grabbed the chair and dragged herself up from the floor."

"Then who are you working for?" Lexa interrogated as she stepped forward with her right foot and floor swept the other agent, knocking her off balance and shoving her backwards.

Whatever this 'angel' of Michael's had, it wasn't experience. She might have the knowledge of how to hack computers, knowing where everything was, but she didn't have the physical skills, made too many mistakes, and had higher plans than were attainable. If she had been trying to steal Airwolf, and assuming she didn't pull a Moffet, she should have followed Hawke, found out where he hid her and then one day she would just be gone with it. Stealing files, gaining access passes, ripping off top secret military hardware that wasn't even in prime condition, technically not even being used by the government, and taking out her whole crew was a _**very **_arduous_ task, _and would take months, if not more, of time of planning and preparation, organization, and experience. No one started at the top of the ladder, they had to climb there.

Striking out at her, the so called angel attempted to bring her down, but only was rewarded by having her hand stepped on.

"I don't think so."

"You can't stop me. You won't."

"Looks to me like I already have," Lexa taunted.

Out of nowhere, a strong hand grasped her shoulder, a deep voice behind her warning that struggling would be futile, an evil grin spreading across his lips.

"Apollo," she mouthed in surprise. "Even I never would have never expected you to turn."

"It's all a matter of-"

"The only matter is you won't get away with it."

"And you're going to stop me?" he laughed.

"Well I sure as hell am not going to go down without a fight."

\A/

His ears were keenly tuned into the crashing and banging somewhere in the distance, but his vision blurred. Staggering forward, hand firmly over his wound, Hawke groped his way down the hallway, determined not to be useless in apprehending this trespasser.

\A/

Footsteps quietly paced down the hall, stopping occasionally, then beginning again. Listening maybe? Did they know she was here? Cait thought to herself. She was a Texan, an cop, a member of the Airwolf team, and she put up with Hawke on a regular basis. She was tough and she wasn't about to back out now. Clicking the safety off her gun, back to the wall, she slipped around the corner, gun drawn, ready and aimed for whatever was around the corner.

The large shadow just beyond came closer and her grip tightened.

"Just come on already," the redhead muttered under he breath. She was ready as was ever going to be and the anticipation wasn't doing anything to calm her nerves.

As the figure round the corner cautiously, Caitlin nearly dropped her own gun, relief coursing through her. "Dom, you scared me near half to death."

He looked like she'd done about the same to him too, but he made no mention of it.

"You seen anyone yet?"

"Not yet, no sign of anyone actually. What about you?"

"Still nothing."

\A/

Apollo fell backwards, amazed by the speed and agility the agent had, thinking they spent far too much time and money on her training for him to be going against her.

No doubt she would have a few bruises of her own, but nothing like what he was expecting.

She slammed a hard fist into his jaw, and followed up with another.

He shoved back, directing his own punch toward her, but she deflected it, never receiving the full brunt of the blow.

\A/

Following the noise, Marella came dashing down the hall and around the corner, shocked to see Lexa collapsed on the floor.

Kneeling down beside the agent, she checked for a pulse and that she was breathing okay, relieved to find her alive, although temporarily immobilized.

It appeared to be the effects of some kind of sedative, most likely Euthanasia or Secobarbital, Marella decided. It should start wearing off within a few minutes, but she couldn't exactly leave her alone with whoever the psychopaths that had done this still running loose. On the other hand, they would continue to run free until she did something about it.

Blinking blearily, Lexa started to stir, slowly regaining consciousness. The light was too bright and she felt like she'd fallen off a two story building and then been hit by a semi truck, but there were more important details to deal with than what she felt like. Someone was after something - other than that the detail were a bit sketchy. That's not much to go by, she told herself, trying to compose her thoughts but failing miserably.

"How're you doing?" Marella's voice echoed through her head.

Shaking her head and fighting back a wave of nausea, she purposefully avoided the question, intent on apprehending whoever they were supposed to be after.

"W-where'd they g-go?" she slurred.

"First, let's worry about you."

"No." The mission always came first, always. Above everything else it must be completed; that was how she was trained, programmed, and that was how it had to be.

"Apollo," she struggled, a name finally coming to her, "w-where?"

\A/

Hand resting heavily against the wall, Hawke stumbled into the next room, finally letting himself slink down to the ground to take a little break, knowing that otherwise it wouldn't be long before he just passed out in the floor.

"Well aren't we a pair?" Lexa asked cynically, still trying to overcome her dizzy spell. "You…. You don't look so great, Hawke."

"You don't look any better," he retorted. "Seen anyone yet?"

"T-two. Marella went after 'em down the hall."

Clutching his gun in hand once again, Hawke pushed up, staggering to his feet. "You stay here," he ordered.

"Sure," she replied, "just as soon as you do, buddy."

"You don't listen very well, you know that?" he panted.

"Been told that once or twice, specifically by a certain pilot named Stringfellow. Ever heard of him?"

"Stringfellow, huh? I might've heard of him a time or two."

"Oh get on, you stupid bloke, not like you would ever listen to reason anyway."

"Five'll get you ten, you'll be right behind me."

"No deal," Lexa replied, already trying to struggle to her feet even though the world was still swaying dizzily around her. "You should know by now I've no more common sense than you."

\A/

"What do you think they're even after?" Caitlin queried. "They sure have to go through a lot of work if it isn't anything big."

"Weapons, plans, a certain person, something worth a lot…. I don't know, Cait, it could be one of a hundred things."

" Even a secret project or prototype?"

"It's possible."

Then it hit.

There was something that met all of those qualifications.

"Do you think…."

"I'd bet on it."

Picking up the pace, Dom and Caitlin explored every hallway they hadn't already, many of which they had never been on before, and were amazed to see just how large the inside of FIRM headquarters was.

"They're probably heading out toward the hangars," Dominic reasoned.

"And they already know we're here, which means Hawke could be in danger too."

"I don't think there are any of us who aren't in danger at the moment, the question is just how much."

\A/

"I think we lost them."

"They'll be after us again before long. Don't you realize how many of them there are? You told me there would only be a few," he grumbled irritably. "We've already seen two and I've heard more."

"Sorry," she answered, only half sincerely. "But does it really matter is we get what we came for?"

"It will matter if we don't get it, and you had better be right on that location."

"The location you should have had," Maria returned.

"It's not my fault Archangel is stupid enough to risk his career, not to mention his life, just to protect Hawke and his beloved Airwolf team. I should have known exactly Hawke and Airwolf were at any given time, and no one else was supposed to go with him, that's what he agreed to."

"You as well as anyone should know that plans change."

"Some do, ours will not."


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

"Lexa? I thought I told you to stay put."

"I found an escort," Lexa replied, still a little disoriented, but perseverant.

"Hawke?" Marella said unbelievingly. "What happened to you? You look even worse than she does."

"He has been determined to stumble around her with the rest of us, even after flying back from Russian and loosing about a gallon of blood."

That earned her an unappreciative scowl from Hawke. "Not a gallon," he corrected, although he knew he couldn't deny the others and admittedly he had lost a lot of blood, Airwolf's cockpit alone being proof.

"Either way, you both need some medical attention. I could arrange for an ambulance and have you both on your way in just a few minutes."

"No," both replied immediately.

"I'm not going anywhere," Hawke insisted. "There has been a security breach and something important is going to be missing if we don't do something about it."

"I'm not leaving either 'til the mission's successful. Besides, I think it' wearing off," she added, attempting to mask the sudden sickening feeling that had just hit her stomach.

"My army - the staggering wounded," Marella quipped. "Oh well, you use what you have, right? And about all I've got is the two of you with enough stubborn determination for a whole branch of the military."

\A/

"I think I heard something this way," Caitlin said, turning around the corner, gun still in hand. Dominic followed.

Just in front of them, the door slammed shut, locking behind the escaping fugitives and leaving them unable to do a thing about the criminals leaving through the hangar.

Muttering curses under their breaths, the twosome started looking for an unlocked door or other way to gain access into the FIRM's hangar. No way could be found though.

"We can't have lost them; we just can't have."

"Wait a minute," Dom cautioned. "I hear someone."

A locked door to their left suddenly flew open and Marella came through, flanked by her walking wounded army right behind her.

Breathing out a sigh of relief and disappointment all at the same time, Dom and Cait lowered their weapons as the rest of the group joined them.

"Any idea where they went?" Lexa asked hopefully.

"Out through the hangar," Dominic replied.

Deftly Marella entered in her access code and lead the way through.

"Where could they be?' Isabel demanded of herself impatiently. "One of the helicopters is missing," Marella suddenly realized. "They're gone then."

"No," Hawke replied "We _can't_ let them get away."

"But how?" Caitlin questioned, confused, as she watched Hawke climb into a nearby Long Ranger. Kicking the rotors into motion, impatiently waiting for them to gain momentum as his woozy companion climbed in beside him.

"The files - me, Dom, Cait….Airwolf. They're going after Airwolf."

\A/

"So what've we got?"

Maria simply continued glowering at the names on the paper on front of her. "Stringfellow….Saint John…What kind of names are those?"

"I don't care about the names; I just want some background information about Airwolf and its crew."

"You should know plenty about them considering all those committee meeting you sat in on," the younger agent retorted. "Stringfellow Hawke - he's currently now almost thirty seven, has a presumed nephew, amerasian, living with him and has no other known living relatives. His brother is MIA in Vietnam and finding him is Stringfellow's main goal in life. He has agreed with Archangel to relinquish control of Airwolf back to the FIRM once his brother, dead or alive, is found and brought back. He served three tours in Vietnam in the same unit as his brother from seventeen on until the fall of Saigon in '75. After the war, he worked for the FIRM as a covert agent for two years then as chief test pilot on the Airwolf project following a year long disappearance for which we have no record of where he might've been. Since then he has been steadily employed at Santini Air by Dominic Santini,\\ and lives in a secluded cabin in the woods."

"Good, and the others?"

"Saint John Hawke is Stringfellow's older brother by four years, occasionally helped out at Santini Air before shipping off to 'Nam in where he acomplished the rank of Captain before being shot down July 4, 1969, and missing in action since then. Le van Hawke is assumed to be his son, but no certain identifications have been made."

"Tell me more about Mr. Santini."

"Dominic Santini is the owner and operator of Santini Air, which we believe also served as a cover for their government work. He is the surrogate father of both Hawke boys after their parents drowned in a boating accident when Stringfellow was ten and Saint John fourteen. He often provides backup to the younger Hawke on Airwolf missions and served during the Korean War and World War II."

"Anyone else?"

"One more - Caitlin O'Shaunessey. She was taught to fly by her father and in her early twenties joined the Texas Highway Patrol, aerial division. After the town, Pope County, was mysteriously shot up, she took a leave of absence and later showed up in Van Nuys where she went to work for Santini Air part time. Eventually she also got involved with Airwolf and is now considered a third member of the team.

"And Airwolf, affectionately known as 'The Lady,' is a FIRM-made stealth attack helicopter designed by a now deceased Dr. Charles Henry Moffet. During a presentation to the senator, Moffet obliterated the entire control center and took Airwolf to Libya. Later taken back by Hawke, Airwolf has been hidden somewhere in the western United States for the last three years, flown by Hawke and Santini for on missions of national interest in exchange for the FIRM's looking for Hawke's brother, only to be returned if Saint John is found. It is an aerodynamic lifting body able to reach three hundred knots or can disengage its rotor system and ignite two additional turbines with which it can exceed mach one. Airwolf is armor plated and armed with a variety of weapons ranging from thirty millimeter canons to nuclear tipped Shrike missiles."

"That truly is one heck of a chopper," the pilot remarked. "And I've heard a dream to fly. For the ones outside the cockpit though….that black battleship is hell with rotors."

She had to smile at the comment, knowing to be all too true, but also that it would be the two of them on the inside and everyone else on the out.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

The FIRM Long Ranger landed at Santini Air just outside the hangar, and two climbed out, picking the lock and gaining entry to the hangar.

"Get the door opened," Apollo barked as he walked closer to the sleek black helicopter. "Looks like they did a real job on it," he idly commented. "The tail rotor is all messed up and it looks like brimstone has been raining down on it."

"What if it doesn't fly?"

"What?"

"It looks liked it has sustained a considerable amount of damage, what if we can't get it into the air?"

"Then we find a different way to get it up. They got it this far. I didn't give up my job, risk getting imprisoned for life or getting killed to quite now; I have a deal with the Libyans who are quite distraught over loosing it the first time, and I wouldn't want to disappoint them, or especially miss out on the large sum of money they're offering in exchange."

\A/

Wishing he had Airwolf's speed, String piloted the helicopter toward the familiar Santini Air hangar, only hoping and praying they made it in time. Airwolf in the wrong hands - he didn't even want to think of the possibilities. Moffet had wreaked plenty of havoc in the short time he had had it, killing many innocent people, obliterating Red Star, and blowing up and American destroyer. With more time and money at their disposal, Airwolf could be used to cause boundless destruction to nearly anywhere.

"They won't be able to get far though, right? I mean, Airwolf is damaged and bingo on fuel."

"Hopefully," Hawke replied. "They'll have to use turbos since the tail rotor is toast, which would put them into critical fuel consumption, but at mach it won't take long to get far either, assuming they can control her at that speed."

"And if they can't…."

"Let's just get there before they take off, okay?"

Lexa scowled back. "That was the plan, but we need a backup when it doesn't work."

"There is no backup. We stop them, they get away, or they crash and take Airwolf out with them, that's all the possibilities there are."

"What if they have someone ready to refuel them once they get to a certain point?" Lexa demanded.

"That falls under they get away. You're the agent, you deal in facts; what's suddenly with all the what if's?"

"As and uncover field agent, it is also my job to figure out how things will happen before they do so I can already have a counter move in play," Lexa rebutted. "Why do you always have to have something to argue with me about?"

"You know why."

"That was five years ago, Hawke!"

"And seven months. It doesn't matter how long ago it was; it happened, that remains the same."

"And I suppose you still believe it's my fault, the one and only thing that isn't somehow your fault."

"Isn't it? You blew my cover, then to save yourself and 'complete the mission' you sent half the Russian army after me."

"You made it out alive didn't you? You obviously continued working for the FIRM, for that MIA brother of yours if anything I'm sure. That's where your loyalties lie, Hawke, and that's fine, but don't risk someone else's life for your obsession."

"I covered my trail," he retorted defensively. "And that was my last mission as an agent for the FIRM. It look weeks to get over the injuries I got from your escape plan - I was shot, nearly drown, then passed out from exhaustion in the middle of nowhere and it took another two days just to find someone friendly to help me. I was so sure that was going to be it…"

"You were thirty, if even that, young and able. And FIRM missions must not have scared you off too much considering you're working for them again."

"This is different."

"How so? You aren't gone as long at a time and now you involve your family and a military helicopter you're holding hostage. It's no different, String."

\A/

Pulling the hatch open, Maria climbed in next to her boss one they had pushed Airwolf out onto the tarmac.

"I need you to keep an eye on the temperature," he directed. "Also be ready to being up any of the weapons if we need them because I'd be surprised if they didn't send someone after us."

\A/

By the ground Caitlin, Dom and Marella took a car, hoping to catch them if the others were delayed by the air traffic controller. Pressing harder down on the peddle, Marella directed them through late rush hour traffic with amazing maneuverability for a limo.

Skidding around the corner, the white limousine pulled into the airfield and down the way towards the hangar.

\A/

Climbing out of the helicopter even as the rotors slowed, gun in hand, Hawke loped toward the hangar with Lexa right behind, catching up as the drugs started to wear off.

In the distance they could see a man and woman climb inside Airwolf's cockpit and the howl of life that flooded through it as the systems were brought online. Picking up speed with every painful step, Hawke closed in on the distance between them, straining every muscle in his body for what looked to be a vain effort. In mere seconds they could take off, and he would just barely miss them, but miss them all the same.

Lexa stared, watching Hawke who was now in a full out run going after the helicopter she knew would already be long gone by the time for he reached it, but couldn't help but show a bit of admiration. Maybe she had gotten it wrong. He sure showed enough loyalty and devotion now. He must know as well as she he wouldn't make it, but he still refused to give in.

Much to her surprise, his hand clutched the handle just as they were about to take off down the runway, the sudden whoosh of air startling the escaping committee member and distracting him from the task at hand.

Grabbing a handful of shirt and pulling with all the strength he had left, he dragged the man out of his seat and out onto the tarmac even as the co-pilot hit the turbos and decided to take her own chances.

Scrambling up into the pilot's seat as they gained speed, the door closing behind him, Hawke was now met squarely with the barrel of his own Walther PPK side arm.

\A/

Screeching to an abrupt stop, Marella in the lead, the trio ran up to where Lexa, still alone on the runway, stood staring off into the now darkening sky.

"They're gone."

"Hawke?" Marella asked.

"Gone too."

"What?"

"They're both in Airwolf, he's going to have to take her out fast though or they're both dead."

"He's inside Airwolf?" Dom asked.

She nodded silently, moving forward to apprehend Apollo before he totally regained consciousness.

\A/

"You want to fly, Hawke?" Maria scoffed.

"I'd love to. I'm not big on passengers though, especially you white-clad spies."

"Loose the sarcasm or you'll be loosing a lot more," she warned, releasing the safety on the gun.

"Where would you like to go with the five minutes worth of fuel we have left?"

"Keep straight ahead until I tell you otherwise, and don't try any of your heroics, it'll only get you dead."

"Yes 'mam."

Hawke continued their course straight ahead but gaining altitude as they went. The second the agent let herself get distracted for the briefest second though he sent them straight up vertically.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Going up," Hawke supplied the obvious.

"Well take it back down, now!" she ordered, reaching for the stick in front of her, but he wouldn't budge.

She slapped him, landing a firm backhand across his cheek then slamming his head back into the bulletproof glass window.

The stress, injuries, and lack of sleep for the last two day was really catching up with him now, he thought grimly as he tried to assimilate the many blurred images around him into one. His vision had just started to clear again when she repeated the maneuver, almost knocking him out cold. The fuzzy figures before him continued to swim in a massive muddle, but he fought back blindly hoping he could wrestle control back.

In the back, an alarm sounded, critical fuel level undoubtedly.

"The agent sent them downward into a dizzying death spiral in search for land before they were completely out of fuel. Hawke fought it back up.

"You idiot, you'll be killed if we don't reach land before we run out of fuel.

"So will you," he retorted. "And to think, you had so much potential."

"I _do_ have potential. When I deliver Airwolf, I'll be quite popular in Libya, and now thanks to you I don't even have to share the fame and wealth."

"You won't make it in Libya. Not even Moffet managed to keep that one going very long."

"Moffet was stupid. He had the intelligence, but he lacked common sense, let his own twisted desires get in the way. I won't make the same mistake," she said as she forced the stick back down again.

"You want to go down? Fine, we'll go down," Hawke agreed, pushing it further and further down, the engine stalling out and rotors spinning unsteadily trying to catch thicker air.

\A/

Michael arrived at the scene, astonished by Marella's call. Apollo and Maria trying to steal Airwolf? He just couldn't believe it. Apollo had been a committee member as far back as he could remember, and Maria he had personally picked himself. Yet, Apollo was handcuffed and Maria and Airwolf were gone.

"Where's Hawke?"

"He's with Maria."

"Why? I can't believe he would turn. I just can't."

"He's trying to stop her, but didn't make it before she lifted off."

"There," Caitlin said, pointing upward at what was only a tiny speck in the sky descending rapidly upon them.

\A/

Seventy thousand feet, sixty thousand, fifty thousand…

Hawke wrestled with the cyclic, collective, and maintaining consciousness. He resituated the helmet on his head, activating the oxygen system and returning to the task at hand - not crashing into the upcoming ground.

Beside him the now passed out Maria lay limply in the sear, something that sounded absolutely wonderful to him right now. Unfortunately, it would be a sleep he'd never wake from. Fate might treat him that way anyway though, he thought darkly as the ground continued to rush up and they continued to fall at an increasing terrifying pace. Punching the start button for the engine again in desperation, he used the last bit of strength he had to pull out as they descended the last few thousand feet.

\A/

"He's coming down too fast, far too fast…"

With an earsplitting shriek, the sleek black helicopter sliced through the air, nose too far down and still way beyond an appropriate speed. Disappearing just behind the mountainside with a tremendous boom, orange flames mushrooming high into the sky where Airwolf had just been.

"Oh my-"

Caitlin silently gazed ahead, wide eyed and about to cry, hoping that some how, any way, he had survived, but with a crash like that…

"String…" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh String…"


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

Marella tried once again still but had no luck in radioing Airwolf, a silent reply all she received.

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, Caitlin brushed the tears away and did her best to look semi composed. "I'm going to take the Long Ranger to see how bad it looks," she stated, no question or uncertainty in her voice. It was simply something she had to do.

The others nodded in complete understanding. "I'll come too," Dom suggested. It was something that had to be done as a kind of final act, and if there was a body left to be buried, it at least deserved a proper burial.

Michael retained a respectable distance despite his own loss. Hawke was more like a friend than just another agent, and he didn't like loosing even them.

"I'll call for an air ambulance," Marella said.

But what if there wasn't anything to pick up?

Fighting back a wave of sorrow that threatened to overcome her, Caitlin climbed into the FIRM helicopter, sliding on the headset in silence and Dom slide in somberly beside her and pulled the door shut.

"He's alive," he told her. "I'm not sure how he could ever survive, but he made it."

She formed a grateful half smile through her tears, praying he was right.

The rotors circled slowly, as if having as difficult a time getting moving as they were. After an eternity they finally got the needed lift and took to the air, on their way to find out what was come of their beloved Stringfellow Hawke.

Dense smoke formed a dark haze making it difficult to see much less fly towards the crash sight. It seemed the beautiful and promising day had suddenly turned into a dark pit of despair, making it impossible to share and kind of help or comfort to each other because they were each drowning in their own sorrow and regret.

At the center of the pit was what appeared to be burning remain of wreckage and shrapnel, smoke too thick to fly through rising from it.

"Better land here and go in the rest of the way by foot," Caitlin said shakily.

Dom agreed, gently taking the controls from her and landing amongst the rubble.

Coughing harshly upon breathing in the smoke-filled air, Dom and Cait carefully made their way down to the burning pit.

\A/

There was clawing outside the door, desperation, trying to get in. Friend of foe? Probably nothing more than imagination, flames licking at the hatch, searching for a way in. It didn't matter anyway. He couldn't do anything about it one way or another, couldn't even move. Whether he didn't have the strength to or physically something was wrong with him, he didn't know.

What he felt was far worse than pain; it was vulnerability, helplessness. He _couldn't _do _anything_. The last two days had more than taken its toll, the fighting was over though. Whatever happened happened and he would have to live with it, assuming he lasted long enough to be rescued.

\A/

"There!" Caitlin pointed ahead excitedly, hope flooding through her. Dom was right, he was alive, he just had to be.

Scrambling over the scattered debris of what used to be and old shed, she clawed towards the semi buried helicopter, desperately forcing her way past the wreckage.

Grasping the door handle and wrenching it open. She saw his prone form, crumpled unceremoniously on the right seat, unmoving, bloodied, and bruised, obviously pinned down underneath the weight of the few loose articles from the back that had been thrown forward into the front of the cockpit.

"String!" she gaped, horrorstricken, climbing across the other seat and shoving the debris aside to get to him. "String, are you alright?"

Airwolf would require plenty of repairs before she was airworthy again, but he had managed to get her down in more or less one piece. Hawke, on the other hand, she wasn't so sure still was.

As Dom caught up, he found where Caitlin had climbed through and standing at the narrow entryway he saw her cradling his lifeless body, tears streaming down her cheeks. If she even noticed he was there, she made no move to show it. Her long fingers tangled through his blood matted short brown hair, brushing the stray strands away from his face. "I never really thought about how much you mean to me," she sobbed. "Even if just as a big brother sometimes… You Dom and Le have been more like a family to me than anything else. You never left, never quite, and don't you even think about leaving me now, Stringfellow Hawke. You hear me? Don't even think about it. I want you, need you. Otherwise who would bail me out when I get into trouble? You know someone has to. Marella will have the medivac helicopter here in no time; just hang on a little longer."

\A/

With Apollo and Maria now in custody, Michael and Marella came to join Dom and Cait at the hospital, the anxious group easily spotted as soon as they walked in.

"Any news yet?"

Dom shook his head gravely. "By the time we had gotten here he had already been taken to surgery. He did loose a lot of blood - there's still the whole getting shot thing in Russia, getting in a couple good fights, and a rather rough landing in Airwolf."

"They said he would need a blood transfusion, surgery, and lots painkillers and rest at the least," Caitlin supplied.

"At the least? What about it it's not the least?" Michael asked, friend to friend rather than deputy director. With Hawke, it was often all or nothing, and with a "landing" like that it couldn't be good.

"At worst he could die or be paralyzed for life."

The whole group suddenly went quiet, realizing the gravity of the issue. The possibility was there whether they wanted to consider it or not. Back in Russia he hadn't been at the top of his game, then he insisted on flying back himself. Since then things had only gotten worse, and he had ended his perilous venture with a fight in the cockpit and emptying out all the remaining armament in a last ditch effort to avoid plowing straight into the ground. Who knew if he was even conscience by the time he hit? And the way he had been so lifelessly hung over the stick and instrument panel sure hadn't been any positive indication of what the future would have in store for him.

"Excuse me, miss," the nurse apologized, "but we need to get through."

Caitlin nodded, having forgotten they were still standing in the middle of the hallway, and moved out of the way as the two nurses accompanied by a doctor wheeled the gurney down the corridor.

"Momma mia. Please tell me that's not who I know it is," Dom muttered.

Hawke no longer donned the blood soaked grey flight suit that probably had to be cut off of him, not that it would have been salvageable anyway, but he still looked no better. The thin hospital gown revealed more bruises and cuts, and more reasons to worry.

\A/

**Caitlin's Apartment**

**2:11 am**

_His shallow breathing scared her, but he would be okay, he had to be. Around them, the flames clawed at them, nearing with every minute, time running out._

"_C-cait," he called out in a harsh rasping whisper. "You've got to."_

"_I'm not leaving you," she returned defiantly, "not after what we've both been through."_

"_Cait…no time…"_

_One hand caressed his short cropped fringe and the other pressing firmly against the wound to help slow the bleeding, she promised him it would be alright, that somehow it would all work out even as the fire fingered its way towards them. He was only in this predicament to save her and there was no way she was going to let him die because of it, he just couldn't.  
_

"_Take care of Le… please," he pleaded._

"_Hawke, you're not leaving me. You're not."_

"_C-cait," he murmured, drawing her closer. "I love you, Cait," he whispered, uttering words she had longed to hear from him longer than she would admit, but hoped to be hearing many more times, his lips against hers, he drew in a final deep breath._

"_String!"_

_The only answer she received was a dead silence._

"Hawke no! No you can't!"

Furiously trying to rid herself of the awful nightmare, Caitlin O'Shaunessey threw off her covers, sliding out of bed and pulled her robe around her, disappearing off into the kitchen. Hawke wasn't dead and he was going to be, she told herself over and over again. He was at the hospital where he could be treated and taken care of… but the terrible memories crossed with dream stubbornly refused to dissipate. And she couldn't help but wonder, what if things didn't turn out for the better?


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

The minute visiting hours began at the hospital, Caitlin was there hoping for some good news and assurance. Last night was too fresh in her mind, too real. No, maybe he wasn't going to kiss her, tell her that he loved her, or even die right before her, but it sure felt like that had already happened, and she didn't think she could handle it if it really did.

Reassurance, she told herself, all she needed was to see him living and breathing, a little something to tell her it'd be alright, then they would both be okay.

With a quick stride, she made her way to the front desk, but no nurse was in sight.

"Don't disappear now," Caitlin muttered aloud, concern beginning to make itself visible again as she frantically peered around the corner in search of someone.

"Caitlin," a voice from behind her called. "Cait," Lexa said, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He's in room 212."

"String, he's in 212?" Caitlin checked.

Lexa nodded, surprised by just how upset the slightly younger woman looked. The way she understood it, the two had only known each other for abut two years and there had never really been much of anything romantic between them. On the other hand, even she had wanted to make sure he was going to make it before disappearing again, and they weren't even all that fond of each other.

"I'll walk you there," she offered, directing her towards the elevator. "I didn't spend much time in there, and I never went back to finish my medical degree so I can't give you an official doctor's opinion, but I think he'll be alright. If Hawke is anything, it's determined, perseverant, and darn hard to kill off, not to mention a pretty good pilot. He was unconscious when they brought him in last night and they had to put him under for surgery, but he should be awake about any time if he's not already," she added as they came to a stop outside his door. "Well, I best be going."

"You could come in," Caitlin offered.

Lexa shook her head. "It'd be better if I didn't. Just tell him the docs said it looks like I'll live, so he might just have the misfortune of meeting me again sometime. Oh yeah, and I think I'm going to try flying again, so hopefully we don't meet in the air, especially with that crazy helicopter thing he's currently holding hostage from the FIRM."

"I'll tell him that," Caitlin agreed. "You sure you don't want to some in though, just for a minute?"

"Nah. I shouldn't. It'd be better to maintain my distance. With this line of work, I could be in LA for a while or by tonight I may be on a flight to Africa, and who knows if I'll ever be back or not; it's just better this way. Besides, we wouldn't won't him to think I cared too much, would we?"

"Alright then, thanks Lexa, and maybe we'll cross paths again some time."

"Miss O'Shaunessey?"

"Yes," the red head answered, startled by the sudden appearance of the doctor in front of her.

"Things are looking up and I think Mr. Hawke should pull through if we can keep him in bed long enough to get some rest. He's only been awake about ten minutes, and he's already tried escaping twice, evidently doesn't have much of a thing for hospitals; I think he would be glad to see you though."


End file.
